


Gingie, Snowy, and Hyde

by phantomthief_fee



Series: BATIM Drabbles [13]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Mental Health Issues, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-09-11 22:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 26,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16861450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomthief_fee/pseuds/phantomthief_fee
Summary: Based on the Joey's of pipesflowforeverandever, aceofintuition, and startistdoodles respectively.





	1. Dreams Come True

So, it’s self-insert weekend and I decided to do something involving [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) ‘s Gingie. Again inspired by a dark period in my life.

* * *

Fiona wasn’t even sure why she was here. One minute, she’d been out in the rain, the next some guy had grabbed her arm and was dragging her into a building she hadn’t even known was there. Still, she was glad to be out of the rain. It had been cold and she hadn’t exactly been feeling her best. There was no doubt the man had seen her crying. Maybe he wouldn’t say anything about it. 

“You really didn’t need to take me here.” She said quietly as the strange man dug around in a cupboard. She’d never seen anyone actually wear clothing like his in person. He was wearing a tailcoat and a top hat. That was certainly new.

“Nonsense, my dear girl!” He laughed, withdrawing a towel and handing it to her. “I couldn’t very well leave you alone in the rain. You would have caught your death of cold! Besides, I couldn’t in good conscience abandon someone so in need of cheering up.”

“That obvious, huh?” She managed a weak smile as she pulled the towel tighter around her. 

“I’m afraid so.” He smiled back. “Now, what’s bothering you?” She hesitated, staring up at him with wide eyes. She was only about 5 inches shorter than him, so the gap in their height wasn’t too drastic.

“I’m just having a hard time right now, that’s all.”  She shrugged slightly, drawing into herself. 

“Ah!” He suddenly snapped his fingers. “How rude of me! I never introduced myself! How rude of me!” He held out his hand to her. “My name is Joey Drew!”

“Fiona.” She shook his hand tentatively.

“A pleasure to meet you!” He gave her a big smile and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Now, what  _is_  bothering you so much? I’d like to help if it’s possible.” She played with the edge of the towel, avoiding eye contact with him.

“If you’d rather not say, I won’t press you.” Joey walked around his desk and sat down. Fiona watched him almost curiously before taking a seat as well.

“What is this place, exactly?” She asked. 

“Why, it’s an animation studio!” Joey gestured around his office grandly. Now that she looked around properly, Fiona noticed all the pictures plastered to the walls. 

“An animation studio?” She asked, her voice hushed with awe.

“I take it you’ve never been in one before, have you?” Joey smiled, resting his head on his hands. She nodded, her eyes wide and wondering. It always brought him joy to see people react like this. 

“I would offer you a tour, but I’m afraid we’re having some safety issues.” He said apologetically. “Perhaps another time.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Her face fell a bit. 

“Nothing to be sorry for.” He assured her. 

“Sorry. Force of habit.” She rolled her shoulders in an approximation of a shrug, smiling slightly. 

“Ah! There’s a smile!” He beamed at her. “And what a lovely one it is, at that.”

“Thank you.” Her smile widened at this. There was something so warm about him. She felt comfortable around this man, despite having just met him. She wiped away the remains of the fallen tears from her cheeks. 

“So,” she took a deep breath. “You make cartoons, huh?”

“I most definitely do.” Joey nodded. “Do you do anything of a creative persuasion? I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I can sense you have the spirit of an artist.” Fiona blushed and tugged at her hair. 

“I mean, I wouldn’t say I’m an artist.” She said. “But I do like writing. It’s…It’s kind of my life.”

“What kind of stories do you like to write?” Joey leaned forward, watching her expectantly. 

“It’s silly.” Fiona shook her head, her face falling once more. “I need to be realistic. Writing stories isn’t going to get me a job or make me successful.” 

“Nonsense!” Joey said. He looked just the slightest bit offended by the statement. “Tell me, does writing make you happy, Miss Fiona?”

“…It does.” 

“Then I would hardly call it silly.” He smiled softly at her. “I’m sure your writing brings others great joy, as well.” 

“Well, I’d hope it would.” She shrugged again. “But I need to be realistic. I’m going into college now. I have to figure out what I want to do with my life. And writing doesn’t make that much money.” Joey’s brow furrowed.

“What are your dreams, my dear girl?” He asked after a moment. 

“Pardon?” She tilted her head to the side. 

“What are your dreams?” He repeated. “You must have them. Everyone does.”

“I…” She hesitated, biting her lip. “I want to be a writer someday. A professional one. I want people to read my stories and fall in love with them. I want to make people happy.” Joey’s expression softened as he watched her. 

“That sounds like a lovely dream.” He said. “I admire your pragmatism, but money isn’t everything. Do what makes you happy. Follow your dreams. They can come true, you know.”

“You really think so?” She sounded the least bit hopeful. 

“I do.” He reached over and squeezed her hand, smiling reassuringly. “I have faith in you, my dear girl. I think you can go far.”

“That’s…Thank you.” She looked ready to cry again, but this time it was out of happines. 

“Ah,” he glanced outside, a melancholy smile on his face. “It looks as though the rain has cleared up. I suppose you’ll be heading home now.”

“Yeah.” She turned, starting to head for the door. She stopped in the doorway and looked back. “Mr. Drew?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “For…everything. I really needed this.”

“It was my pleasure.” He swept off his hat and bowed dramatically. “Do come back some time, won’t you? I would love to hear your stories.”

“I will.” She nodded. “I definitely will.” Then she left. He watched her go, his smile slowly fading. He knew that even if she tried to return, she wouldn’t be able to see him again. This had been a fluke, nothing more. Still, he was glad he still had the ability to inspire hope in people. After all he’d done…He knew he was unworthy of any admiration. But it felt good to be thanked again. He hoped she’d be alright. She seemed like such a nice young lady.


	2. Oh no…He’s HOT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone Ace draws is hot and I am suffering

So, because of [this](http://aceofintuition.tumblr.com/post/175253664718/a-certain-ginger-haired-drewseph-has-been), I’m having some….feelings. So I’m going to get them out using my dear little Cordelia. 

[@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) knows that this is their fault. See [here](https://pipesflowforeverandever.tumblr.com/post/175285300823/you-made-me-find-gingie-attractive-i-hope-youre)

Gingie belongs to [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ)

* * *

Cordelia had never found her boss attractive before. Yes, he was a handsome man, but he was old enough to be her father. She’d never thought of him in anything even resembling a romantic way. He was almost like a father to her, especially since her own father was now deceased. They weren’t close but he had always been kind to her, just as he was kind to everyone who worked in the studio. She admired his kindness and strived to be like him someday. He was everything she hoped to be when she was older. However, she didn’t develop romantic feelings for him until one fateful day.

It had been a normal day, for the most part. Cordelia had been bringing up some papers from Sammy when she’d seen Joey talking with someone she didn’t recognize. As she moved closer, she recognized him as someone from a local church who’d expressed opposition to the cartoon and its “anti-Christian themes”. She was not fond of him. She huffed, ready to head over and give him a piece of her mind. However, as she walked over, she noticed a new look on her boss’ face. It was a look of cunning and the slightest hint of disdain and it stopped her in her tracks. She barely heard what was being said, simply staring at Joey’s face as he spoke. There was something about the way he looked with his eyes hooded like that. 

“Miss Bell? Are you quite alright?” Cordelia jolted back to reality, feeling her face starting to heat up. Joey stood before her, brow furrowed in concern. The man from the church group was storming away, grumbling under his breath. 

“Oh, um, yeah. I’m fine.” Cordelia forced herself to smile. “I, uh, I got some papers for you from Mr. Lawrence.” Joey’s face lit up. 

“Excellent! Thank you, my dear!” He took the papers from her, their hands brushing for the briefest of moments. Cordelia stared up into his eyes, completely transfixed. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Joey asked. “Your face is quite red.”

“I’m fine.” She squeaked, pulling away and retreating back to the music department. Oh, God. If anyone found out about this, she was never going to live it down. She just needed to play it cool and hopefully, everything would be back to normal soon. 


	3. Human(?) Disaster

I blame [@thedarkpuddles](https://tmblr.co/mhKpEfFZYpdxN-N-by1oO9g) , [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) , and [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) for this.   
Here are some pictures of Minty. He’s kind of exploded. [X](http://aceofintuition.tumblr.com/post/175656269613/mmk-so-a-while-ago-pipesflowforeverandever-and-i) [X](https://batimfangirlmary.tumblr.com/post/175775895780/i-love-fusions-blame-steven-universe-and-now) [X](https://startistdoodles.tumblr.com/post/175650575210/minty-is-such-a-lovely-boi-i-couldnt-not-join-in) [X](http://thedarkpuddles.tumblr.com/post/175623072791/during-aceofintuition-s-last-stream-we-somehow)

This took awhile, and I’m really sorry about that. I hope this turned out alright.

* * *

Neither of them was sure how it had happened, but suddenly there was no them…There was only him. Part of him was screaming, but part of him was rather intrigued. He did not like this. He did not like this at all. He took one step forward and promptly fell to the ground. There was some swearing as he tried to get his bearings. His body really did not want to cooperate with him. He had four arms. That was…new. Was he supposed to have four arms? No, he was fairly certain he wasn’t. 

“This is…new.” His voice sounded unfamiliar to his ears. There were two voices in his mind, one much louder than the other. 

_**GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW!** _

_My dear boy-_

_**I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW!** _

He clutched his head, fear and anger swelling in his chest. Where was this coming from? What even was he? His breath started to quicken. This was  **wrong**. All of this was wrong. He couldn’t quite put into words  _why_  it was wrong, but he was certain it was. Slowly, a realization began to dawn on him as he pieced his memories and experiences together. 

“ _We_ ** _fused_**.” Dear God. They’d fused. He was a fusion. He almost passed out on the spot. No. No no no no nonononononononono. He did not want this. He did not want to be this.  **THEY**  did not want to be this. He had to find a way to reverse this. He had to find a way to separate them. He turned and made a beeline towards his(?) office. Or…he tried to. He ended up falling flat on his face once more. 

_**Snowy hated this. He absolutely abhorred this. No one was allowed to ever know what he was actually thinking. His mind was a steel trap and he preferred to keep it that way. But now…Now someone had unfiltered access to even his most private thoughts and it was an absolute nightmare. Especially since that person was Gingie. He liked Gingie, he did, but his other self had some…boundary issues. Gingie was always trying to get Snowy to talk about his feelings, and Snowy had never been a fan of that. He was sure that once they separated, Gingie wasn’t going to shut up about everything he’d seen in Snowy’s mind. It was going to be a nightmare.** _

_Gingie didn’t do much mind someone having unfiltered access to his mind. He had nothing to hide from his counterpart. Besides, he’d always been very open with his feelings and he hadn’t yet gotten to the part in his story where he had anything to be ashamed of. Honestly, getting closer to his counterpart was exciting for him. Not to mention, he’d never experienced anything quite like this before. This was a magic he wasn’t familiar with and he wanted to learn as much about it as he could._

He groaned, pushing himself up from the ground and into a sitting position. His default state seemed to just be discomfort. He felt a little better now, but there was an underlying sense of discontent. He wasn’t happy being what he was.

“Papa?” Joy came wandering out of his(?) office. His heart swelled at the sight of her. He wasn’t sure who he was, but he knew he loved her. He stood up, striding over to her and sweeping her up in his arms. He didn’t need to think about what he was doing, he just knew he wanted to hold her. 

“Hello, darling.” He smiled softly, brushing some hair out of her face. Joy tilted her head to the side, looking a little confused. 

“Papa…And Uncle Gingie?” She asked, reaching out to touch his face.

“I…Yes.” He felt much calmer having her near him. If there was one thing the two of them could agree on, it was that they loved Joy. Joy watched him curiously. 

“Was Uncle Gingie doing magic again?” She asked. 

“ ** _Unfortunately_**.” Snowy’s voice slipped out, obviously less than pleased with the situation. 

_My dear boy, might I remind you that you agreed to do the ritual with me?_

_**That was because I didn’t know it would do this!** _

Joy watched as the internal struggle played out on his face. She could tell that he was having a hard time with whatever the situation was. She wanted to help him somehow, although she wasn’t sure what exactly she was supposed to do. First, though, he needed a name. She wanted to have something to call him.

“I’m going to call you Papa Minty.” She suddenly announced with a big smile. The internal argument ceased at this. He stared down at her, brow slightly furrowed. 

“Minty?” He asked. 

“You have a hair swoop that looks like toothpaste, and toothpaste is minty.” Joy explained, hands on her hips. He couldn’t help but smile. She was so proud of herself for this.

“That sounds lovely, dear.” He kissed her head. Joy giggled, covering her face with her hands. 

“Do you want to sit on my lap while I try to figure out a way to undo this?” He asked. He knew there were some books in Snowy’s office from the last time Gingie had been over. One of them had to have some kind of way to fix this. Joy nodded, settling in his arms. He managed to make it to the office this time, getting inside and sitting down in Snowy’s chair. It was…an awkward fit. He wasn’t sure how tall he was at the moment, but it was certainly far taller than a normal human was supposed to be. Sighing to himself, he picked up one of the books from the desk and opened it. 

_**One of these books better have something.** _

_I’m sure at least one has what we’re looking for. Although, our pool of knowledge is a bit limited at the moment._

_**Well, we’ll have to make do. I’m not traveling to your dimension while we’re like this. Who knows what’ll happen.** _

_That is a fair point, I suppose._

With one of his free hands, he grabbed a journal, flipping it open and beginning to scribble notes on the paper. Joy peered at the books from his lap, her eyes wide with wonder. As time went on, though, she ended up falling asleep on Minty’s lap. Minty shifted her so she was in a more comfortable position before continuing. A large stack of books began to form beside Minty as he went through the available tomes. As he focused, he found himself feeling more and more comfortable in his body. He didn’t hear the two distinct voices in his mind as much. He almost felt…happy. Then Henry walked in.

“Joey, I’m heading out for the day and I just wanted to…drop off…” Henry trailed off as he took in the scene before him. He stood in the doorway for a moment, arms limp at his sides and his eyes narrowed slightly. 

“Huh.” He finally said. “This is…new.” In Minty’s lap, Joy stirred. She sat up, looking around blearily. Her face lit up upon seeing Henry. 

“Uncle Henry!” She scrambled off of Minty’s lap, running over to Henry. 

“Hey there, kiddo.” Henry scooped her up. “Would you mind telling me what happened here?”

“Uncle Gingie and Papa were doing magic stuff and now they’re Papa Minty.” Joy said, as if that was supposed to answer all of Henry’s questions. Henry had to bite back a sigh. He supposed he should be used to this sort of thing by now.

“So, sounds like you had a pretty busy day, old friend.” Henry shifted his gaze to Minty, who suddenly looked rather uncomfortable again.

“It’s been…less than ideal.” Minty nodded, beginning to fidget with his pen. 

“Would you like me to take Joy home? I doubt you can go back to Ana looking like this.” Henry said. Minty nodded again. 

“I’ll tell Ana you’re working late.” Henry offered a reassuring smile. “I hope you get this figured out.”

“ _ **Night, Henry.**_ ” Minty mumbled, looking back at the notes he’d taken.

_Are you going to tell Ana about all of this?_

_**Are you kidding? God no.** _

_Why not?_

_**Look, I don’t want Ana getting involved in this shit. Alternate dimensions and magic are dangerous. If something goes wrong, I don’t want her suffering for it.** _

_Ah, yes. That…That is a good point._

Minty sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. He needed to take a break. He’d been working for hours now. He got up from Snowy’s desk and went to the door, poking his head cautiously out. It seemed as though most everyone had gone home for the day. He really didn’t feel like explaining how this had happened. Once he was sure he was alone, he made his way to the bathroom. He hadn’t actually gotten a good look at himself yet. Despite his fear of making it real by confronting his reflection, he walked in and looked in the mirror. 

_Well, would you look at that?_

_**We look ridiculous.** _

_Oh, hush. We look fine._

He reached up and unconsciously adjusted his extravagant bowtie, a small smile playing on his lips as he gazed at himself. 

_**Gingersnap, we’re nine feet tall and dressed like some English dandy. We look ridiculous.** _

_I think we look quite whimsical if I do say so myself._

_**You would say that.** _

All things considering, he looked more like Snowy than he did Gingie in terms of physical appearance. But the fashion was all Gingie. It wasn’t bad by any circumstance. But it was strange for both of them to see. He had to find some way to fix this. Still…He leaned closer, touching his face and running a hand through his hair. It was amazing what magic could do. He couldn’t believe this was him.

_**Alright. Enough gawking. Let’s get back to work.** _

_You are absolutely no fun, my dear Snowy._

He gulped down some water and returned to Snowy’s office. He was making rather good progress if he did say so himself. He would probably have this all figured out by morning. 


	4. Who Broke It?

Inspired by a comment at one of [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) ‘s streams where they announced that they and [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) decided Gingie was Leslie and Snowy was Ron from Parks and Rec.

* * *

Everyone was standing around a table in the break room, staring down at the remains of what had once been a coffee maker. Snowy had called a staff meeting, or at least a meeting with all the staff who were in the break room, when he’d come in with Gingie and had discovered the broken machine. 

“So.” He looked around at his employees. “Who broke it? I’m not mad, I just want to know.”

“I did. I broke it.” Gingie immediately said, hat in his hands. 

“No. No, you didn’t.” Snowy quickly dismissed him, his gaze shifting to Wally. “Wally?” It was a fair assumption that if something was broken, Wally had something to do with it. He did have a penchant for breaking things.

“Don’t look at me.” Wally put his hands up. “Look at Sammy.”

“What? I didn’t break it.” Sammy said indignantly.

“Huh. That’s weird.” Wally narrowed his eyes. “How did you even know it was broken?”

“Because it’s sitting right in front of us and it’s broken!”

“Suspicious…”

“No, it’s not!”

“If it matters, probably not…” Grant chimed in, clearly eager to get this conversation over and done with. “Susie was the last one to use it.”

“Liar! I don’t even drink that crap!” Susie stamped her foot.

“Oh really?” Grant folded his arms and arched an eyebrow. “Then what were you doing by the coffee cart earlier?”

“I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles. Everyone knows that, Grant!” Susie snapped. 

“Alright, let’s not fight.” Gingie’s eyes darted nervously around the room. “I broke it, let me pay for it, Snowy.”

“No. Who broke it?” Snowy demanded. There was a moment of silence, then Sammy whispered,

“Mr. Drew, Norman’s been awfully quiet…”

“Really?” Norman, who up until this point had simply been standing behind everyone else, gave Sammy a withering look. 

“Yeah, really!”

From there, everyone started shouting at one another, each eager to lay the blame on someone else. Gingie was left to try and keep the peace, a task that seemed rather fruitless.

…

Snowy smirked at the camera, Joy balanced artfully on his hip.

”I broke it.” He said. “It burned Joy’s hand so I punched it.” He glanced back at his bickering employees, his glee barely contained. “I predict ten minutes from now, they’ll be at each other’s throats with warpaint on their faces and a pig head on a stick. Good. It was getting a little chummy around here.”


	5. Dad Privileges Revoked

So, at their stream, [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) drew a picture of their Joey adopting [@startistdoodles](https://tmblr.co/mJuUIVFyH87l9lVizPl0y8g) ‘s Wanderer, and now I wanted to write it. 

* * *

Snowy Drew wasn’t an amazing person, but he would be damned if anyone called him anything less than an exceptional father. Ever since meeting Gingie, he’d looked into other versions of himself in alternate universes. A lot of them made rather poor choices, but he could ignore those. What he couldn’t ignore was the universe of Ivy the Deadly Sheep. That universe’s Joey Drew also had a daughter, whose name happened to be Mary Jane. Seeing how his counterpart treated Mary Jane made Snowy’s blood boil. Especially after he saw just what his other self had done to Mary Jane. Snowy loved his daughter more than he loved life itself. He would destroy anyone who tried to hurt her. The fact that someone who was also him would do something like this to his own daughter…Snowy saw red, tearing open a rift in the fabric of time and storming through. The other Joey was caught off guard as Snowy stormed over to him, snatching up the creature that had once been Mary Jane Drew. She was so small in his arms.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?” The other Joey demanded, taking a step towards Snowy. He had a cane. Good, that meant his mobility would be inhibited and Snowy would be able to make a clean getaway.

“You don’t need to know and it doesn’t matter.” Snowy snapped. “I’m taking her.”

“She’s my daughter!”

“My daughter now, bitch,” Snowy said, holding the creature tighter to his chest. “Your dad privileges were revoked the second you did this to her.” The other Joey tried to take a step towards Snowy, but Snowy had the height advantage. He pushed the other Joey to the ground with one strong shove, then hopped back through the rift. Thankfully, it closed behind him. Snowy let out a sigh of relief and looked down at the creature in his arms. She seemed more perplexed than anything else, looking around curiously.

“Alright, sweetheart.” Snowy’s gaze softened. “Let’s see if we can fix you up.”

It wasn’t easy, undoing what his counterpart had done, but Joey did manage it. Once he was finished, there were two entities in the circle. A little toon sheep, and a little girl. The girl stirred, sitting up and looking around. 

“Good morning.” Joey smiled softly. “How are you feeling, kiddo?” 

Mary Jane wasn’t sure where she was exactly. She remembered her father putting her in a cage and then…And then what? Where was she now? The room around her looked like her father’s office, but the man in front of her wasn’t her father. She felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes. 

“W-Where am I?” She asked, trying to stop herself from crying.

“You’re in my office.” The man explained. He sounded like her father, at the very least. 

“Who are you?”

“I’m Joey Drew.” He said. “Another version of him, at the very least.”

“Where’s my father?” She began to look around wildly. 

“He’s not here.” The other Joey’s expression darkened. “I couldn’t let you stay with him. Not after what he did to you.” For a moment, Mary Jane was about to ask what he was talking about. Then it all came back to her. The ink, the cage. Her shoulders started to shake as she began to sob. The other Joey walked over to kneel before her, wrapping his arms around her. Mary Jane buried her face in his chest, sobbing quietly. 

“It’s going to be okay.” He said. “He can’t hurt you anymore.” How could he have done that to her? Didn’t he love her? Why had he sacrificed her?

“It’s okay.” The other Joey repeated, rubbing her back. Mary Jane cried against him for a long time before she finally managed to get herself under control. 

“Do you feel better now?” Joey asked. Mary Jane nodded, still sniffling a little. 

“Good.” He smiled warmly and held out his hand to her. “Would you like to meet my daughter? I think the two of you will get along quite well.”

“Okay.” Mary Jane said quietly. Joey took her hand and led her into the break room, where a little girl was seated on a table, drawing something. 

“Joy! Good news!” Joey said. “You have a sister now!” The little girl immediately looked up and hopped off the table, her eyes shining. 

“Really?” She asked, starting to bounce in place a little. 

“Really really.” Joey smiled gently. 

“Joey!” Suddenly a voice came from outside the break room. Mary Jane immediately drew into herself. She relaxed a bit once she realized it was Henry’s voice. The barest hint of annoyance passed Joey’s face before he turned and yelled back,

“What?”

“The music department flooded again!” Henry yelled. “Sammy looks like he’s about to blow a fuse.” Joey rolled his eyes and muttered something. 

“Wait here, girls. I have to take care of something.” He gave them a smile, then left. Mary Jane looked down at the little girl before her, trying to wipe away the excess tears in her eyes. The little girl, the other Joey had called her Joy, smiled at Mary Jane. 

“Your hair is really pretty!” 

“Oh, um, thank you.” Mary Jane smiled softly, reaching up to play with her hair. 

“Do you wanna color with me?” Joy asked, taking Mary Jane’s hand. 

“Sure.” Mary Jane followed her over to the table where the smaller girl’s art supplies were all laid out. 

“What are you drawing?” Mary Jane asked as Joy handed her a piece of paper and some crayons. 

“Uncle Gingie.” Joy said, returning to her drawings. “He visits Papa sometimes. I like him. He lets me play with his hat.” Mary Jane smiled softly and started drawing. The first thing that came to mind to draw was Ivy, but she stopped as the sheep began to take shape, the memories of her transformation rising to the surface. She tried to control herself. She couldn’t cry in front of this girl. She didn’t want to burden her with this.

“Are you okay?” Joy asked. When Mary Jane looked up, Joy was seated on the table in front of her, her brow furrowed in concern.

“I’m okay.” Mary Jane tried to smile but found her voice breaking. Joy frowned, wrapping her tiny arms around Mary Jane. 

“Uncle Henry says it’s not good to bottle up your feelings.” She said. “So you should cry.” Mary Jane hesitated for a moment before starting to cry once more, holding Joy close to her. When Joey returned, he found the two girls holding one another. 

“Papa, I helped!” Joy smiled brightly at her father. Joey’s expression softened and he walked over and ruffled her hair. 

“You did good, sweetheart.”

“O-Oh, sir!” Mary Jane looked over at Joey, trying to quickly wipe away her tears. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay.” Joey moved his hand to pat her head. “You’ve been through a lot.” He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain this to Ana, but he’d figure something out. There was no way he could let that girl go back to that man. That man wasn’t even worthy of being called a father.

When Joy met Ivy, oh, that was when things really went downhill for Joey. He’d known Joy was a troublemaker, but when she was given a co-conspirator? She was a million times worse. He once walked into a hallway to find both Joy and Ivy seated on a pipe nearly 7 feet off the ground.

“Joy!” His heart nearly stopped. “Get my daughter  **DOWN**  from there, Ivy! It’s not safe!”

“Sorry, milkshake, she’s mine now.” Ivy grinned. 

“Hi, Papa!” Joy said brightly. Normally, Mary Jane kept the two of them mostly in check. She seemed to be the conscience of the three of them. But that day, she’d been doing some voice acting with Susie. It took a few minutes to finally convince Ivy and Joy to get down, but he managed it. He let out a sigh of relief at having the two girls safely in his arms. 

“Papa, can we have ice cream?” Joy asked. 

“Alright.” Joey sighed, heading for the break room. “But you can’t tell your mother about this, okay?”

“Okay, Papa!” 

“My lips are sealed.” Ivy gave him a wink. 

“You have to share with Mary Jane once she gets done with voice acting too,” Joey added, setting them down on the table. 

“Yeah yeah, we will.” Ivy waved a hand dismissively. Joey sighed and went to get the ice cream. When he returned, Ivy and Joy were drawing happily. Mary Jane soon followed. 

“What’s this?” She asked, noticing the bowls and ice cream. 

“We’re having an ice cream party!” Joy clapped her hands happily. 

“Take a seat.” Joey gestured to a chair beside Ivy. “I’ll prepare you a bowl.” Mary Jane couldn’t help but smile softly to herself, taking a seat beside Ivy. She was happy like this. She still missed her father a little bit, but this was better. She was taken care of here. She had people who would protect her from harm, just as her father should have. 

“Mr. Joey, sir?” 

Joey looked over at her. 

“You don’t need to call me that.” He said, handing her a bowl of ice cream.

“He’s Papa!” Joy said brightly. 

“He’s Milkshake.” Ivy insisted, shoving a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

“Anyway, what is it?” Joey asked. 

“…Thank you.” Mary Jane smiled down at her bowl. “For saving me.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Joey patted her head. “I couldn’t just stand by.”

“Okay.” Mary Jane started to eat her ice cream quietly, smiling to herself. She could really be happy like this. She was sure of it. 


	6. Dad Privileges Revoked 2

So, here’s the picture [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) [drew](http://aceofintuition.tumblr.com/post/176131079463/if-ur-a-bad-dad-joey-snowys-gonna-come-to-ur). [@startistdoodles](https://tmblr.co/mJuUIVFyH87l9lVizPl0y8g) also drew [this](http://queenofcats17.tumblr.com/post/176178268905/pipesflowforeverandever-startistdoodles), so I wanted to include Gingie. 

Also,[ this ](https://pipesflowforeverandever.tumblr.com/post/176413206053/startistdoodles-chamomile-carillon-this-sums)

The part at the end is courtesy of [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) and [@startistdoodles](https://tmblr.co/mJuUIVFyH87l9lVizPl0y8g) rping in the stream. It was too good for me not to include.

* * *

When Gingie visited Snowy next, he was delighted to find that Mary Jane and Ivy were there as well. He, however, was a bit confused as to why there were suddenly new children in Snowy’s studio. Snowy wasn’t exactly the type to amass children as Gingie seemed to.

“Erm, Snowy my boy, why are there new children here?” He whispered as he watched Mary Jane read to Joy and Ivy. It was a rather touching scene, almost enough to make Gingie’s heart melt. 

“It’s kind of a long story.” Snowy shrugged.

“Well, I have time.” 

Snowy rolled his eyes and took Gingie out of the room to fully explain the situation. Once he had, Gingie was less than pleased with the situation. In fact, he wanted to go give Mary Jane’s father a good talking to.

“The nerve of that man!” Gingie slammed his cane into the ground, pacing back and forth to try and release the rage welling up in his chest. “To do that to his own daughter! I would like to have words with him!”

“He’s probably beyond help, Gingersnap.” Snowy shook his head. “I doubt you’d get him to see reason, even if you tried.”

“I just…Urgh!” Gingie slammed his cane again. He couldn’t even properly formulate words for just how angry he was. Family was everything. To think someone would do that to his own daughter…

“Yeah, I know.” Snowy nodded grimly.

“Is everything alright?” Mary Jane peeked out into the hallway. “I heard a lot of loud noises.”

“Everything is quite, alright, my dear.” Gingie immediately put on a bright smile. “Snowy was just explaining the situation to me.”

“Oh.” Mary Jane’s face fell and she drew into herself.  Snowy and Gingie exchanged a glance and Gingie walked over to her. 

“I’m sure Snowy has a lot of work to do.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “So why don’t I keep you and little Joy company? It’s been quite a while since I saw my dear little niece.” Mary Jane hesitated but went back into the break room along with Gingie. Gingie glanced back at Snowy and nodded.

“I’ll be back later,” Snowy said, before heading to his office. Gingie closed the door to the break room behind him, putting on his biggest smile. 

“Uncle Gingie!” Joy’s face lit up when she saw Gingie descending the stairs with Mary Jane. She got up and ran over, allowing Gingie to sweep her up in a big hug. 

“Hello, my darling girl!” He said, spinning her around. “It’s so so lovely to see you again!”

“Heya Candletop.” Ivy gave him a wink. “How’s it going?”

“And hello to you too, Miss Ivy.” Gingie put Joy down. “How are you on this fine day?”

“Could be better.” Ivy shrugged. “Milkshake yelled at us for trying to take his cookie stash.”

“I told you both not to do that.” Mary Jane sighed, settling down at the table.

“Well, Jellybean wanted a cookie. Who was I to say no?” Ivy asked innocently. 

“You should be careful not to eat too many sweets.” Gingie sat down along with the others. “You might get cavities.”

“But Daddy eats sweets all the time.” Joy said. 

“And I’ve told him the same thing.” Gingie tapped Joy’s nose with one finger. Joy giggled and covered her nose. 

“In any case, what are you all doing?” Gingie turned his attention to Mary Jane and Ivy.

“Well, we were reading.” Mary Jane gestured to the books on the table. “But then Ivy got bored and wanted to draw.”

“So now we’re drawing!” Ivy grinned, happily holding up her picture. 

“That’s a very nice picture.” Gingie nodded appreciatively. “Who have you drawn?”

“That’s me.” Ivy pointed to the figure in the middle. “And these are my friends Harvey and Oscar!” She then pointed to the other two. 

“I drew me, Daddy, you, Ivy, Uncle Henry, and Mary!” Joy held up her own picture. “We’re all a big family!” Gingie’s smile softened as he stared at the drawing. It was crude, all the figures stick-like, but it was the thought that counted. 

“Do you…Do you really consider me part of your family?” Mary Jane asked quietly.

“Mm-hm.” Joy nodded, going back to drawing. “You’re like a big sister! I always wanted a big sister.” 

“What about me?” Ivy whined. Joy seemed to think about this for a moment, her little face screwed up in concentration. 

“I dunno.” She shrugged. “But you’re family anyway!” Ivy seemed satisfied with this, returning to drawing. Gingie looked over at Mary Jane, who’d fallen silent.

“Mary Jane? Are you alright?” He asked, getting up. Her shoulders were shaking and she had her head bowed. Gingie frowned, getting up and walking over to put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, revealing tears in her eyes. 

“My dear, is something wrong?” Gingie’s brow furrowed.

“Oh no!” Joy immediately got up and ran over to wrap her arms around Mary Jane. “Don’t be sad!”

“I’m not sad.” Mary Jane sniffled. “I’m just…I’m really happy.” She’d always wanted a sister. She knew her father still loved her, despite what he’d done, but it was hard knowing he’d hurt her and other people. Gingie and Joy held her for a few minutes while she cried and Ivy tried to cheer her up with some slapstick gags. Mary Jane seemed to recover after a little bit and they moved on. Gingie volunteered to read to them, which the girls accepted. Gingie delightedly acted out the stories, along with silly voices. This kept the girls entertained for a good long while. Until Snowy returned. 

Gingie had been in the middle of teaching the girls how to properly draw hands when they’d been interrupted by a loud bang. Immediately, Gingie shifted into protection mode. 

“What was that?” Mary Jane asked, eyes suddenly wide with concern.

“Mr. Franks probably fell over his bucket again.” Joy nodded sagely. Ivy snickered in a way that hinted she’d probably ‘accidentally’ left some buckets in Wally’s path.

“I’ll go see what it was.” Gingie smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure Joy’s right.” He patted Mary Jane’s head before heading out. He immediately went to Snowy’s office. He had a pretty good idea of where the bang had come from. Sure enough, there was Snowy, slumped in his office chair.

“Goodness! You look positively awful!”

“Yeah, no shit, Gingersnap,” Snowy grumbled, giving him a withering look. He had the beginnings of a rather nasty shiner, as well as various bruises and cuts all over his body and a few rips in his shirt.

“What happened?” Gingie rushed to his side, hovering in a very dad-like way.

“I went to confront that bastard.” Snowy shooed him away. “For a guy with a cane, he’s pretty damn strong.”

“Oh my.” Gingie clicked his tongue, fighting the urge to pull out his handkerchief and start wiping off Snowy’s face. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Snowy said. “Stop fussing.” Gingie was about to protest and tell Snowy that it likely was as bad as it looked, but he was interrupted by a small gasp from the doorway. Both men turned to find Mary Jane standing in the door to Snowy’s office. Her hands flew to her mouth, tears glittering in her eyes. 

“Oh dear.” Gingie murmured. 

“Did…Did Papa do that to you?” Mary Jane asked quietly.

“Yeah.” Snowy nodded grimly. Mary Jane looks on the verge of tears. Immediately, Gingie was at her side, guiding her away from Snowy. 

“Why don’t we go get something to drink?” He suggested. “I’m sure Snowy needs some time to rest.” Mary Jane offered absolutely no resistance, whimpering quietly as she was led away.

———————————————–

“Mr. Drew?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“Could I…give you a hug?”

“But of course!” He gave her a warm smile. 

“I want to apologize, for what my father did.”

“Darling dearest, it’s not your fault…” He wraps her into a close, gentle hug. “You’re alright…it’ll be alright…" She doesn’t know what to say she just buries her face in his shoulder

"You’re loved and cared for and so so, SO important.”

“Do you think I’ll…be like him one day, Papa? I—I mean Mr. Drew…”

"Darling! No no no!” He holds her closer before backing up a bit, holding her by the shoulders. She looks ashamed, but she looks up to meet his gaze.

His eyes are shiny, betraying their wateriness. “You aren’t…what other people choose for you.”

“ **You**  are a delightful little girl with a warm, splendid heart.”

“I don’t want to be like him, but I don’t know why he is the way he is…I don’t want to be a monster again….” 

“Tell me, my dear…” He asked. “Who do  **YOU**  want to be?” 

“I……” She looks down at her feet. “I just want to make people happy…” 

His fingers grip her tighter, his eyes wide as a rough whisper comes from his heart. “Then be… _happy_." 

“But what if people look at me the same way they look at…him…? I know he doesn’t define me but…do others?” 

There’s a bit of silence before he speaks again. "Mary-Jane, did I ever tell you about my mother and I?" 

She shakes her head and puts her hand on his. “No…” 

A chuckle softly curls one side of his mouth, his eyes lowering bit too. "She was…a very, very wonderful woman. You could feel it. When you met her…you could… _feel_  her. Do you understand what I mean?" 

She pauses, very clearly thinking about her father and how that wouldn’t apply before her eyes widen and she nods slowly as she seems to remember someone like that. 

"A powerful spirit like that makes a name for themselves whether they try to or not. And she was a powerful spirit indeed.” He blinks, pursing his lip in memory. “And as her son that…carried with me." 

“I’m sure she was…being your mother and all…” She puts a hand on his shoulder. “You had a positive influence to draw from.” 

Gingie nods his head side to thought with a thoughtful smile. "Yes, I say she’s been..very positive in my life. But more so what I mean is that…” And before his gaze was so firm upon the child in front of him, but it suddenly fades to look ahead at nothing. He is now a child himself once again, just for a moment, as he reminisces. “….It was…a very long time for me to figure out the difference between being her child and being me.” 

His sight finally returns to her, half-lidded and soft with understanding. “And I suppose that’s how you must feel right now with your father.” He shakes his head. “I can’t imagine that looming over you like a shadow day in, day out. But…” And he pulls her in again for a hold. 

“He always loved me,” she said softly. “Despite what he has done, I know that for sure. But it’s hard to stand by and watch your own…hurt other people you love. But I’m glad it was me instead of anyone else…” 

“He will never stop you from being you. No one’s assumptions will ever make you what he is.” At her words, he finally chokes up. You can hear him cry in the back of his throat, holding it in for her. “You’re such a brave, kindhearted soul. That will make you different forever, even if you forget.” 

“I don’t think I’ll forget with you watching over me, papa.” She plants a kiss on his forehead.  And just like that, he melts away. He can’t hold in his tears, and they fall down one by one over rosy old cheeks and a lip that trembled no matter how hard he bit it.  She wraps gentle arms around his neck and breathes steadily, allowing messy tears to drip on her shoulders. And he so, so carefully pulls her back into his chest as he kneels in front of her, putting a hand gently over her head to smooth her hair in comforting pats. He breathes in a shaken, weary sigh. 

“If there were more people like you, this world would be a much gentler place…Don’t lose your spark, ok? You’re just as important as I am.” 

If he wasn’t holding her close before, he was now- so much so that if she let go he could still pick her off the ground. 

“God as my witness, I will not forget who you really are, my dear.” He said. “Never in all the years this old heart has left. I won’t let you forget either.” 

Her own lip begins to quiver as soft hiccups lead to quiet tears and a grip on his suit. 

“Would you like to come back with me for a bit? With Snowy’s permission, of course.” She can feel him smile gently as he is pressed into her head. “I don’t think he’ll mind though” 

Mary-Jane nods, her hands rubbing on her swollen eyes. “You’re the only other one Mr. Drew would let me go with,” she chuckles gently. “It would be a pleasure, of course.” 


	7. The Wanderer

So, I really like [@startistdoodles](https://tmblr.co/mJuUIVFyH87l9lVizPl0y8g) ‘s Mary Jane and Wanderer, and I saw [this](https://startistdoodles.tumblr.com/post/179395923220/you-promised)post and wanted to write something for it. And then there’s [this](https://startistdoodles.tumblr.com/post/179824264091/no-matter-what-it-takes)

This takes place in the universe of [A Debt To Pay](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F12791076%2Fchapters%2F29190675&t=MjQxNjAwYWU1YTFiMWRiZjJjZWM0NjJjOThlN2IwMzg0MmJiZjVkZCx4S0NJUURzdw%3D%3D&b=t%3Abf1mUcY3jG5LyWt2YecXMQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fqueenofcats17.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180437330600%2Fthe-wanderer&m=0) because dammit I want this girl to get some love and my characters are going to give it to her.

* * *

Carmine and Fiona had seen a lot of horrible things in Joey Drew Studios. They’d seen people turned into twisted cartoon characters, cartoon characters disemboweled and ripped apart, and inky abominations that barely even resembled humans anymore. But the one thing that had given Fiona comfort was that all of the people involved had been adults. It didn’t make any of what had happened better, but she was at least happy knowing that Joey Drew wouldn’t sink so low as to hurt a child. Until, that is, they discovered the Wanderer. 

It was during their time as errand boys for Alice. Carmine was grumbling about being forced to do the false angel’s dirty work, while Fiona just wanted to get this over with as quickly as they could. 

“I don’t understand why she can’t just do this herself,” Carmine muttered as the elevator stopped on Level 11. Fiona turned back to Boris, smiling reassuringly and patting his head. 

“We’ll be right back, okay, buddy?” She said. Boris whimpered a little bit, but nodded. 

“I mean she has legs, doesn’t she?” Carmine tapped his foot, standing and surveying the level with some distaste. “Not to mention, she has far fewer qualms against hurting creatures than you do.”

“If you’re going to keep complaining like this, you can go wait with Alice.” Fiona stepped out of the elevator, holding the provided syringe to her chest. “The faster we get this over with, the better. Then you can go take Joey’s soul or whatever.” Carmine went silent, watching as Fiona looked around cautiously. Her shoulders were hunched and he could hear her heartbeat beginning to speed up.

“Are you alright?” He took a step forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. She started a bit at this, despite already knowing he was there.

“I mean, I’m not doing great.” She said, shrugging slightly. 

“Ah, that makes sense.” He smiled softly. “This must be rather difficult for you.” She stopped for a moment in the middle of the doorway leading deeper into the level. 

“We should have been able to save him.” She said. “Sammy.”

“My dear-” Carmine tried to drag her toward him, likely to pull her into a hug, but she pulled away. 

“I know, I know. We can’t save everyone.” She hunched her shoulders. “But I know you can free them from…whatever this is. You did it to the man in the organ. You could have done it to Sammy.”

“I just didn’t get there in time.” 

“You didn’t try.” She walked away, her arms falling to her sides. He sighed to himself and followed at a safe distance. 

She was right, of course. He could have gotten there if he’d wanted to. But instead, he’d decided to hang back and see how it unfolded. Had Fiona been put into any real danger, he would have saved her in an instant. Thankfully, the Ink Demon had gone after Sammy and not Fiona, and Carmine had only needed to scoop her up and flee. Fiona had been rather quiet after that. She’d refused to talk to him the entire time they’d been in Boris’ safe house, only starting to speak once they left. And even then, it was only to reassure Boris while they traversed through the dark. Part of him wanted to be irritated with her. She knew he was a demon. She knew he cared very little for people who weren’t her. She’d known what she was getting into when she came to him. But…No. He shook his head. He’d known who she was when he agreed to this. She wasn’t like him. And he prayed she never would be. 

When he caught up to her, she was kneeling in front of a swollen Searcher. 

“Could I take a little ink from you?” She asked, her voice soft. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just need to take a little ink.” The Searcher flinched away from her, making a low groaning sound.

“Why do you talk to them?” Carmine stopped a few feet behind her. “They can’t answer you.”

“I know. But they used to be humans, right?” The hand holding the syringe shook. “It makes me feel better to treat them like they still are.” His expression softened a bit. 

Eventually, the Searcher seemed to grow comfortable enough to allow Fiona to harvest some of its ink. She apologized as she did this, warning it that this was going to hurt a little. The Searcher, to its credit, stayed calm for the most part. 

“Thank you,” Fiona said, pulling the syringe away. “That’s all I’ll take.” The Searcher moaned before disappearing into a puddle. 

“How much does she want, anyway?” Fiona stood up, groaning a little about how stiff her knees were. 

Carmine shrugged. “Ink from three should be enough.”

“Okay. So just two more.” She exhaled slowly. “Alright. I can do this.” They headed further into the level, past the Miracle Station, and into the flooded corridor. 

“Where is all this even coming from?” Fiona muttered. 

“Maagic~” Carmine made a vague hand gesture. Fiona elbowed him in the ribs. It took him a moment or two to recover from this. For someone so small and squishy, she had surprisingly sharp elbows. Once he caught up to her once more, he found her staring through a glass partition. She was just standing there, staring into the room beyond. She hadn’t even noticed the audio log to her right. On the other side of the partition was what appeared to be a break room. There were tables, chairs, a drink machine at the back, and in the middle…Two ink creatures. 

One was a towering man, his body covered in ink, with wires stuck into his body at odd angles, a speaker on his chest, and a reel in his shoulder. He was one of the more human looking creatures they’d seen, at least until your gaze reached his head. Or where his head should have been. Instead of a human head, like Alice had, or a featureless head like Sammy, this man had a projector. It was honestly a little terrifying to consider just what had happened to this man. Did he have a head under the projector? Or maybe that  _was_  his head.

At his feet was a horrifyingly childlike creature. It was on all fours, almost resembling an animal in the way it moved. It looked a little like the failed version of Bendy that had been chasing them around. One on-model hand, one creature hand, its body painfully thin. It was obvious a different character had been used for this creature, although which one wasn’t clear. They hadn’t seen any characters like this creature. Its massive horns seemed to be dragging it down. They looked so heavy. It was hard to hear through the glass what it might have been saying, but it was talking to the projector creature. 

Eventually, the projector creature seemed to grow tired, turning and skulking away. The horned creature watched him go before going to a corner and curling up. The oppressive silence of the moment broke, and Fiona let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding in.

“What do you want to do?” Carmine asked. Fiona didn’t answer, dropping the syringe and running into the room. The noise seemed to startle the creature inside. It sprung up upon hearing Fiona enter, pressing itself into the corner. Fiona stopped, putting her hands up.

“I’m sorry.” She kept her voice gentle and calm. “I didn’t mean to scare you, sweetheart.” The creature whimpered a bit, still trying to stay away from her. Fiona knelt in front of it, smiling softly. 

“It’s okay.” She continued. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“ _ **I’m GOing tO SAve yoU, mY DeAr.**_ ” The creature said. The words coming out of its mouth didn’t seem to be its own, as if it was just parroting back phrases it remembered. But that wasn’t what unsettled them. Its voice sounded like…a little girl. Fiona inhaled sharply. 

“Carmine…That’s…That’s a child.” Her voice shook as she reached out toward the creature cowering in the corner. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Carmine stood his ground, arms folded behind his back as he watched his girlfriend touch the creature’s head. 

“What’s your name, honey?” 

“ _ **MaRY JaNe, mY stARdusT,**_ ” The creature said, rubbing her head against Fiona’s hand.

“Joey Drew has a daughter,” Carmine said, despite knowing full well he was about to make the situation far worse. “Her name is Mary Jane.” 

“Is this- Don’t tell me that he-”

“Yes.” 

Fiona’s lip began to tremble. She pulled the creature into a hug, trying to keep herself from crying. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, patting the creature’s back and rocking back and forth. “I’m so so sorry.” The creature that had once been Mary Jane Drew hesitated for a moment before snuggling up to the distraught young woman. Carmine sat down at a table near them, watching them. Fiona cried until no more tears would come out, only dry heaving sobs escaping her lips.

“Why would he do this? To his own  _daughter_!”

“I don’t know.” A lie, but in his opinion a necessary one. He knew exactly what Joey Drew had been thinking, especially after hearing what he had from the thing that had once been Mary Jane. He knew Drew’s wife had died from some sort of illness, which meant Mary Jane had likely had the same illness. He’d seen this scenario before. 

“You can…You can fix her right?” Fiona turned her gaze pleadingly to Carmine. “You can make her better!” Carmine pursed his lips. 

“This isn’t like the boy in the organ. Her situation is a great deal more complicated.” 

“But you can do something, can’t you?” Fiona held the creature tighter to her chest. “You have to be able to do something!” Carmine felt his resolve beginning to crumble at the sight of her tearstained face. 

He sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

It was just about as difficult as he’d anticipated it was going to be. But, in the end, he was able to return Mary Jane Drew to her human form. With the added benefit of bringing to life the character she had been meant to embody. When he was finished, a young girl and a cartoon sheep laid in the middle of the makeshift circle he’d created in the break room. Fiona was in tears once more, throwing herself onto him, kissing his face and thanking him over and over. 

“It’s not over yet.” He said, gently pushing her away. “If you really want her to be safe, you need to take her out of her. Find her someplace where people will take care of her. I’m sure some other version of her father will do.”

“Right. Of course.” Fiona nodded, returning to the girls in the circle. She picked them up as best she could, waiting as Carmine opened a portal. 

“I’ll come find you when I’m finished here.” He kissed her head when he was done. Fiona nodded, facing the portal. 

“What…What should I tell her?” She suddenly asked, looking back at him. “When she wakes up, I mean. How am I supposed to explain this?”

“Tell her the truth.” 

“Well…Alright.” She still seemed to hesitate. “Don’t kill him. I don’t want to have to tell her that you killed him.” A look of irritation flashed across his face, although he tried not to get annoyed. 

“I won’t kill him.” He said. “I’m here to take his soul, and that’s what I’ll do. Nothing else.” He smiled and put a hand to his heart. “I promise.”

“If you say so.” She took a deep breath and stepped through, allowing it to close behind her with a pop. With that taken care of, Carmine dusted himself off. He’d been humoring Alice due to Fiona’s presence alone. He was done with that now. It was time to do what he had come there to do. He was going to have a talk with Joey Drew.


	8. Good Intentions

So, after the latest chapter from [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) [Hymns of Struggle](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fseries%2F910524&t=YjM5ODRkNzgyNTcyNTI4MGE5ZGE3NjM0MmM1MDU2ZWRjODhlN2YxZSxoS0U5ZmNSMQ%3D%3D&b=t%3Abf1mUcY3jG5LyWt2YecXMQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fqueenofcats17.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180746179395%2Fgood-intentions&m=0)series, I wanted to write something for our favorite ginger. Specifically with another ginger who also cares very deeply for his children.

Sidenote: This is simply the portrayal of Loki I use in my stories. 

* * *

Joey collapsed into his chair, burying his head in his hands. He was just trying to protect them. Why couldn’t they understand? He just wanted to keep them safe. He had sacrificed so much to ensure their safety. He knew this was his fault, he knew that, but he’d done everything he could to make sure no one was hurt by his mistake. They were alive, weren’t they? He’d made sure they wouldn’t die. But then again, there were fates worse than death, weren’t there? His shoulders shook with barely contained sobs. He hadn’t wanted this. He hadn’t wanted any of this. Why couldn’t they understand that? He’d never meant for any of this to happen.

“It’s tough, isn’t it?” Joey looked up abruptly, only to find a man sitting cross-legged on his desk. The man had certainly not been there before, and Joey could think of no way the man could have gotten in. He certainly didn’t seem to belong there. The man was far cleaner than anyone else in the studio could ever be. His faded green shirt and worn brown pants looked old, but there wasn’t a drop of ink on them. He couldn’t be more than 30 years old, but there were streaks of grey in his flaming red hair. Faint wrinkles lined his eyes and mouth, and on his lips were barely visible scars. And he wasn’t wearing any shoes. 

“How did you get in here?” Joey asked weakly. He didn’t have the energy to be frightened or shocked. He’d expended all of it putting everyone back in their places. 

“I’m not here.” The man gave him a weary smile. “Not really.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“It’s a long story. Think of this as something like astral projection.” His enigmatic guest waved a hand dismissively, turning to face Joey. “Introductions are in order.” He stuck out his hand. “Loki Lauyfeyson.”

“As in…the god?” Joey asked, a touch of awe entering his voice. He knew precious little about Norse mythology, but he knew this name. 

“The very same.” The man’s smile widened. His eyes were green, a far brighter shade than any that might be found in nature. They were sharp, understanding, but infinitely tired at the same time. Joey stared at the outstretched hand, the long fingers and calloused palms. 

“Come on now, I don’t bite.” Loki laughed. “At least, not usually.” Joey reached tentatively out, shaking the god’s hand. A real god…in  _his_ studio. 

“Joey Drew.” He said. “It’s a pleasure.” Loki may have said he wasn’t really there, but Joey could still feel the warmth from the other man. Loki was warm, very much so. It was a welcome change from the cold that seemed to permeate everything in the studio.

“I do hope this doesn’t sound rude, but why did you come here, exactly?” Joey asked once they’d both withdrawn their hands. “I’m sure a god has better things to do than visiting someone like myself. I’m not even a believer of yours.”

“You would think so, but no.” Loki laughed. “I’m a bit, shall we say, indisposed. Physically speaking.” Joey tilted his head to the side, eyes squinted in slight confusion. For a moment, Loki just stared at him. Then he chuckled nervously. 

“You’re not, uh, familiar with my stories, are you?” 

“My apologies.” Joey gave him an apologetic smile. “I must admit, I never studied your myths.” 

“Eh, that’s alright.“ Loki shrugged. “You did say you weren’t one of my believers. Anyway,” he smiled once more. “You asked why I was here.”

“I did.” Joey nodded. Loki leaned back on his hands, staring at the ceiling of Joey’s office. 

“I wish I could say it was for some noble reason. But honestly? I was lonely.” 

“You were…lonely?” Joey echoed uncertainly. It hadn’t really occurred to him that gods  _could_  get lonely. 

“My physical body is stuck in a cave,” Loki explained. “The only other person I can talk to is my wife and…She’s still holding a grudge.” His smile grew sad. “She’s got every reason to be mad, of course, but it still hurts.”

“That sounds unpleasant,” Joey said. 

“It’s not that different from your situation. Although you don’t have a giant snake dripping poison onto you all the time.” Loki laughed at this, as though it was supposed to be funny, but Joey just stared at him in horror. Loki’s laughter slowly petered off, leaving him smiling uncertainly. 

“Sorry. Gotta cope somehow. Besides, the poison doesn’t drip on me all the time. Only when my wife has to empty out the bowl she’s holding.” 

“I, erm, alright.”

“Moving on.” Loki cleared his throat. “Yes. I was lonely. And…you reminded me of myself a little bit.” Joey’s brow furrowed. He wasn’t sure if he should be honored or not. Being compared to a god did technically tend to be a good thing. But given that Loki was apparently confined to a cave while a snake dripped poison onto him, he had the feeling Loki wasn’t exactly the best person.

“May I ask why I remind you of yourself?” Joey asked, folding his hands on the desk. Loki sat back up, watching Joey. He was smiling again, the expression world-weary and tender.

“I’ve done a lot of things I shouldn’t have in the name of keeping my children safe.”

“I see.” Just like that, the reality of the situation came crashing down on Joey once more. He’d been able to forget what had happened while in the presence of his new guest. He didn’t get guests very often, after all, least of all literal gods. 

“Yeah.” 

For a moment or two, they just sat in silence. Joey stared down at his hands while Loki just stared off into the distance. Finally, Loki spoke once more. 

“I never really expected to be a father.” He said, his gaze wandering around the room. “I mean I understood how reproduction works, but neither Angie nor I are human, so things had the possibility to get weird.”

“Angie?”

“The mother of three of my children,” Loki said, staring off at something that Joey couldn’t see. “She’s one of my best friends. I haven’t seen her in years now.”

“How many children do you have, exactly?” Joey asked. He couldn’t help but feel a little curious. He knew many gods had a tendency to have a vast number of children.

“Six, that I know of. Although, there are probably more.” Loki laughed softly. “I do like having a lot of sex.”

“Are they…yours by blood?”

“Yep. I even gave birth to one of them!”

Had he not been thinking of Henry, Joey might have been slightly put off by this. He stared down at his hands again, opening and closing them as though that would do something. 

“I have…Had a son.” He said. “We weren’t related by blood, but…” He smiled softly. “I love him more than anything. I wanted him to be happy more than anything else in the world.”

“I know what you mean.” Loki’s expression softened. “The first time I held my son, it was like nothing else mattered. I decided right then and there that I would never let anyone else hurt them.”

“I thought…I thought maybe if we could be blood…Maybe then…Maybe then he would come back.” Joey whispered. “Maybe things could go back to the way they were before. I just…I wanted him back.”

“I know.” Loki reached out to gently touch Joey’s shoulder. 

“I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to hurt any of them.” The tears were threatening to come back. “I never meant for any of this to happen.” Joey’s body began to shake again. He buried his face in his hands once more. “I just wanted my family back.”

“I know.” Loki’s voice was soft, almost fatherly. It seemed so strange, having a man who barely looked older than Joey treating the old man as though he were his child. It wasn’t done in a way that might have felt demeaning. No, it seemed as though Loki genuinely cared. Joey calmed down a bit at Loki’s touch and understanding tone. 

“What did you do…exactly?” Joey asked. “If that’s not too personal of a question to ask.” He wasn’t sure why exactly he was asking this. Maybe he thought if he heard the other man’s crimes, he’d feel better about his own. 

“I mean, I already know everything you’ve done, so it only seems fair.” Loki shrugged. “Are you sure you want to hear it, though? It does involve a lot of violence.”

“I may be far younger than you, sir, but I am no child.” 

Loki exhaled slowly through his teeth. “Alright, so, this is going to require a little explanation.” He put his hands together. “You may not understand the significance of this, but Angie is a jotun. Jotun are a race that is common in my mythology. They’re basically embodiments of nature. Now, jotun aren’t particularly…popular among the gods.” He grimaced a bit. “When given the chance, most of the others readily enjoy bashing in the skulls of the jotun. I’m half jotun myself, but my friendship with Odin allowed me to mostly stay unscathed.”

“Odin is…the king of the gods, yes?”

“Yes. And a right bastard if I do say myself. Always scheming and planning.” Loki’s expression darkened. “It was because of his fear and paranoia that my children were treated so poorly.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Joey touched the god’s hand. “That hardly seems fair.” 

“Sometimes life isn’t fair.” Loki entwined his fingers with Joey’s. “But I appreciate the sentiment. In any case, back to the story. So, Angie is a jotun, which means that by extension, my children with her are jotun as well. It didn’t help that 2 out of 3 of them are large animals.”

“Large animals?” Joey’s eyes widened. 

“Like I said, neither Angie nor I are human, so things get weird.” Loki let out a weak laugh. “But, yes, two out of three of them are large animals. Fenrir is a giant wolf and Jormungandr is a giant snake. The only one of the three of them who looks human is my girl, Hel. Although…She has her own peculiarities.” 

“I see.” Joey wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to this, so he just nodded. One would think he would be used to strangeness by now. But apparently, life still had surprises in store for the old man. 

“As far as I’m concerned, they’re the best things to ever happen to me.” Loki continued. “But the others didn’t agree. They thought my children were dangerous. They thought my children were  _monsters_.” He spat the word with such venom that Joey flinched back. 

“They could have been taught to control their powers, could have been taught to fit in. They could have been happy.” Loki’s voice began to rise, a fire igniting in his eyes. His hand grew warmer. “But no. Odin would not tolerate that. He chained up Fenrir, cast Jormungandr into the ocean, and confined Hel to the Underworld. It wasn’t fair! They didn’t do anything wrong!” The fire in his eyes burned brighter. His hand was now uncomfortably hot. Joey pulled away as Loki continued to rail and rant. The room was growing warmer and warmer. “They needed to be taught a lesson! They all did! They needed to know what it meant to lose someone they cared about! They needed to know pain and death! I was justified!” 

Then, suddenly, Loki stopped. The fire in his eyes went out and the room was cold once more. The god was left staring down at his hands, just as Joey had been before. A similar look of regret was plastered all over his face. Joey blinked, still pressed into his chair. 

“Are you quite alright?” He asked tentatively. 

“No.” Loki managed a rueful smile. “But then again, neither of us are. I, uh, I didn’t really answer your question, did I?”

“I suppose you didn’t.”

“I killed one of Odin’s sons.” Loki held eye contact with Joey as he said this. “His name is Baldr. He’s a sweet boy and he didn’t deserve what I did to him. But he was one of Odin’s favorites and I wanted to hit the old man where it hurt. Not to mention,” he glanced down at the ground. “I thought Hel would enjoy the company.”

“Ah.” Joey could find no other words. 

“Odin retaliated, of course.” Loki drew into himself a bit, wrapping his arms around himself as if trying to provide himself comfort. “I deprived him of his son, so he deprived me of two of mine. But at least I gave his son a painless death. Not like what he did to my boys.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. It was my fault. It was my fault they suffered.” Loki hunched his shoulders. “Everything I did for my children, all of it backfired. All it did was harm them, in the end.”

“I know the feeling.” Joey lowered his eyes. Everything he’d done to protect Henry, to protect the members of the studio, it had all been for naught. All he’d done was cause them pain. 

“Hence why I came here.” 

They sat in silence once more before Loki started to laugh quietly. 

“There’s some Christian saying,” he said. “‘The road to Hell is paved with good intentions’. It certainly seems to apply to us, doesn’t it?”

“I suppose it does.” Joey smiled weakly. Loki shifted his position so that his face was close to Joey’s. He put his hands on Joey’s shoulders, resting his forehead against the other man’s. 

“I believe in you, my friend. I believe that it’s not too late for you.” Loki closed his eyes, his voice like silk in Joey’s ears. “But you need to listen to Francine. You need to accept that you have made mistakes. You need to accept that you were wrong.” Joey pulled away rather violently, sending his chair crashing into the back wall as he stood up. Loki sighed, his shoulders slumping. 

“I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true.” He folded his hands in his lap. “We are not right, Joey Drew. Nothing we did was right. If you ever want to fix what you have done, you need to own up to your mistakes.”

“How  **dare**  you!?” Joey sputtered. He wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t have been wrong. All of this had been for a reason. It had to have been for a reason.

“I don’t want you to end up like me.” Loki looked tired as he watched Joey. “I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I have. There’s still time for you to fix your situation.”

“I don’t need your judgment!” Joey yelled. He felt like a child once more, being confronted by a disappointed adult. He didn’t want to feel like this. 

“For your sake, I hope your story has a happier ending than mine.” Loki murmured. Then he was gone. Joey was left alone in his office, flustered and on the verge of tears. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the place where the god had once been. Eventually, he sat back down at his desk. This was all for a reason, it had to be. He wasn’t wrong. He wasn’t. 


	9. Human(?) Disaster 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minty gets drunk in order to cope with his current situation. So, TW: alcohol and TW: Drinking

That’s right. I decided to do more of it. 

At [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) ‘s stream, they drew a drunk Minty, so I decided I had to write this. 

Here is [drunk Minty](http://aceofintuition.tumblr.com/post/178618717458/some-mint-from-last-stream-feat-drunkminty-and). 

[@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) and Ace gave me information about how drunk Minty would act. 

* * *

 

He didn’t have it figured out by morning. Despite how confident he’d been in his own abilities, he was still stuck in this strange form when the sun rose. In fact, it seemed he’d fallen asleep at his desk. He was woken the next morning by Henry gently shaking his shoulder. Henry had been fairly sure that this whole situation wouldn’t be resolved in one night, but it was still a bit of a shock to come in and see a nine foot tall, four armed man asleep at his friend’s desk. Still, he calmed his nerves and gently shook the man awake. The being collectively known as Minty jolted awake, looking around wildly. For a moment, everything was strange. His body didn’t feel like his own, this wasn’t his office. Then it all came back to him. He groaned, burying his face in two of his hands, while the other two ran through his hair. 

**_Fuck._ **

_Oh dear. It seems we fell asleep._

_**No shit, Gingersnap.** _

_I suppose fusing took up more of our energy than we’d anticipated. This really is fascinating. You must let me document this._

_**You can document it when we’re separated. We need to fix this before someone else finds out.** _

“Are you alright there?” Henry asked. 

“No.” Oh gods, now he had to figure out how to avoid his employees until he figured this out. Nevermind how he’d explain this to Ana. She’d definitely be suspicious if he- if Snowy didn’t come home for an extended period of time. 

_I’m sure we’ll figure something out._

_**That’s not helpful.** _

Suddenly, Minty’s stomach let out a growl that was far louder than anything either Henry or Minty had ever heard come from a human being before. It actually took a moment or two for them to realize the sound had come out of Minty.

“I guess you’re hungry.” Henry chuckled. “Do you want me to get you some food?”

“That would be nice, thank you.” Minty nodded, trying to hide his face as best he could. He could feel his cheeks beginning to heat up. 

“Alright, I’ll be back in a little.” Henry turned to the door. “I’ll try to keep people away from your office whenever I can, but you might want to come up with some kind of explanation in case someone does see you.”

“Alright.” Minty kept his head down as Henry left the room. He sat there for a moment, mentally bemoaning his fate. He needed something to make this easier. Slowly, his gaze drifted down to his desk drawer. He reached down, only to have one of his hands grab the hand reaching for the drawer and pull it back.

_Snowy. Don’t you dare._

_**I have to get through this somehow.** _

_But you don’t know what it will do to us like this!_

_**I know exactly what it’ll do. You’re just afraid of your first drink being with me.** _

_I am not!_

_**Are too.** _

Minty didn’t move much in the next few minutes as Gingie and Snowy warred inside their shared headspace. Snowy won in the end, as when Henry reentered with breakfast Gingie was briefly distracted, allowing Snowy to seize control of the body and snatch up the bottle, downing it in one go. Henry just stood in the doorway, holding the food in one hand, as he watched this strange man down a whole bottle of marshmallow vodka. 

_SNOWY!_

_**I regret nothing.** _

Minty belched loudly and sat back in his chair, looking very pleased with himself. Henry stared at him for a moment. It almost seemed as though he was processing everything that had just happened. Eventually, he shrugged and entered. 

“So, I wasn’t sure exactly how hungry you’d be.” He said, setting the food on the desk. “But given your size, I figured it would be safe to get a lot.” Minty’s eyes widened at the sight. 

“This is...a lot of food.”

Henry had brought a small feast. Pancakes, bacon, muffins, eggs. It seemed like Henry had gathered every kind of breakfast food imaginable. 

“I got a lot of weird looks from the diner owners.” Henry laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Anyway, you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, old friend.” Minty wasn’t entirely listening at that point. One thing that both Snowy and Gingie agreed on was that they were both extremely hungry. Neither of them had eaten since the day before, and Minty himself hadn’t eaten at all since coming into being. 

“This is all...for me?” 

“Well, yes, but I don’t think you’ll be able to eat it all...yourself...” He trailed off as Minty began to grab the food and shove it into his mouth as quickly as he possibly could. 

“I’ll...leave you to it.” Henry laughed quietly. “Good luck.” Minty made a vague noise of confirmation, continuing eating. By the time he finished all the food, the alcohol was starting to take effect. He smiled to himself, feeling a sort of tingly warmth spreading across his body. His mind was beginning to feel a little fuzzy. 

_Oh...Oh my. This is...This is a very strange sensation._

_**It would’ve been better if you’d let me enjoy the drink, but at least it’s working.** _

Minty held up his hand, giggling to himself as he turned it over. Now that the alcohol was taking effect, he felt much less terrified about the situation. This truly was something remarkable. He was two people, but also one person. How strange and amazing. He licked his lips, savoring the taste of the grease still lingering there. Then he stopped. 

“What...?” He stuck his tongue out, reaching up and taking hold of it with one hand. Two tongues. He had two tongues. Previously, he might have been horrified by this. Now, he found it incredibly funny. He started to laugh, throwing his head back. 

In retrospect, getting drunk might have been a bad decision. Being drunk meant he didn’t want to focus on researching a way to get himself back to normal. It also meant that he didn’t fully process the consequences of his actions. So when he got hungry again, it seemed as though he was going to get hungry quite a bit, he decided to go find Henry to get more food. Snowy had been in favor of just staying in the office and dipping into his candy stash, but Gingie had insisted they get more substantial food. They’d been sipping on more flavored liquors Snowy had in his desk and were developing quite a large pile of bottles. 

_**So, how’re we gonna do this? Do we both need to choose a leg?** _

_Yes, I suppose that would be a good idea._

Minty rose from the desk on wobbly legs. He managed to get around the desk before his legs gave out and he went crashing to the ground. It hurt a little, but he still ended up giggling. 

_Goodness, this is rather complicated. I was certain I had that._

_**Which leg were you?** _

_The right one?_

_**Ha! I had the right one too!** _

_Oh my!_

This devolved into both of them laughing. When Henry returned, since he’d heard loud noises from Snowy’s office, he found Minty on the ground. The fusion was hugging himself and smiling contentedly. 

“Are you....alright?” Henry smiled and tilted his head to the side. Minty didn’t immediately answer. He was whispering to himself, however. Henry knelt down, waving a hand in front of Minty’s face. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Mm?” Minty looked up, his eyes focusing on Henry. “Oh, yes, wonderful. I’m doing wonderful.” He smiled dreamily. 

“How did you end up on the floor?” 

“We,” he paused before continuing. “I got hungry. And- And you have food, so I thought I’d come find you. But- But-” He giggled. “We were supposed to each pick a leg but we both picked the same leg!” He started to absolutely howl with laughter. 

Henry knew this wasn’t normal. He knew that most people would be freaked out by this situation. But he honestly this was par for the course with being Snowy’s friend. Henry had long since become desensitized to the weirdness that went on in the studio. Besides, he knew Gingie had a tendency to get involved in strange magic. It had only been a matter of time before he ended up roping Snowy into something like this. 

“Do you want to get up?” Henry asked. Minty shook his head. Henry was about to get up when Minty grabbed Henry’s face with two of his hands while cradling his own with the other two. He brought Henry’s face close to his own. 

“Do you...Do you know how much I love you?” He whispered. “I love you so much. You’re...You’re my best friend. I love you, Henry.”

“I love you too.” Henry smiled softly. “And yes, I know how much you love me.”

“But...do you  **really**  know?” Minty had the most adorably serious look on his face. His glasses were askew. It took everything Henry had not to start laughing. But he couldn’t fight the huge smile forming on his face. 

“Yes, I really know.”

“That’s...That’s good.” Minty nodded sagely. The hands cupping his face moved down to wrap around his body again. 

“You seem like you’re in a better mood.” Henry gently removed Minty’s hands from his face, deciding to lay down next to him. Snowy was a tall man, so Henry was used to being smaller than his friend, but Minty was on a whole different level. 

“I’m just really happy.” Minty rolled over a little, holding Henry’s hand in one of his. His other hand was now stroking his face. 

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.” Henry squeezed Minty’s hand comfortingly. He could still see Snowy in the man before him. Although he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Snowy this drunk. Suddenly, he noticed Minty was kissing the back of his own hand. Henry stifled a snort. 

“What are you doing?” He asked, laughing. Minty seemed to consider this for a moment, then abruptly began to bawl. 

“I...I love me so much!” He sobbed. Henry rubbed circles in the skin of Minty’s hand with his thumb. 

“You’re feeling a lot of emotions, huh?”

“I’m just having a lot of feelings!”

“C’mere.” Henry shifted over so that Minty could hug him. Minty ended up wrapping all four of his arms around Henry, cradling him to his chest and sobbing about how much Henry meant to him. Henry patted his back, allowing the other man to get out all the feelings he had. 

Minty ended up falling asleep on the floor. Henry fetched a pillow and a blanket, making sure the tall man was mostly comfortable. As comfortable as he could be, sleeping on the floor. When Minty woke up the next morning, Henry was waiting with a cup of coffee. 

“I feel like shit.” Minty groaned, sitting up. In their shared mindscape, both Snowy and Gingie were definitely feeling the hangover. Especially Gingie, since he’d never had a hangover before. 

_I knew drinking was a bad idea. My head feels like it’s about to split! Is it always like this?_

_**Hey, it was fun while it lasted. It’s not usually this bad, but we did drink a lot.** _

“Coffee?” Henry held out the mug. Minty squinted at the offered beverage for a moment before snatching it up and chugging it. It didn’t even matter that it burned his tongues. 

“I also brought more food.” Henry gestured to the bags next to Snowy’s desk. 

“Thank you.” Minty handed him back the mug. “I...Apologize if I overstepped any boundaries yesterday.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Henry gave him a reassuring smile. “Half of you is still my friend, after all. No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you.” Minty was quiet, just watching Henry. 

“I really am lucky to have someone like you in my life.” He said, smiling softly. Neither Gingie nor Snowy was entirely sure who was speaking at that moment. Both were thinking of their Henry’s. 

“So am I,” Henry said, getting up. “Anyway, I should probably get back to work. I have to give Ana another explanation too.”

“Thank you,” Minty called after Henry.  He watched the door until Henry’s footsteps had vanished. Then he got himself some food. 

They got it figured out within that day. It was strange, being separate. But Snowy was determined that it was going to stay that way. 

“We’re never speaking of this again, got it?” He whispered to Gingie. 

“Did you not enjoy it?” Gingie asked. He looked the tiniest bit hurt. “ **I**  enjoyed being a part of a being with you.”

“I mean...It was fine.” Snowy looked away quickly. “Look, I just...” He trailed off. He didn’t want to discuss this. He didn’t want to dwell on the moment of vulnerability he’d had with Gingie. He was closing himself off again. Gingie couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. 

“I’m glad you have a friend like Henry.” He put a hand on Snowy’s shoulder. “Don’t be afraid to share your feelings with him.” Then he turned and left the office. Snowy hesitated for a moment, leaning on his desk. His fingers drummed on the desk. Finally, he left his office as well. Henry deserved a nice dinner after all he’d put up with over the past two days. They’d all go out together. Him, Ana, Joy, and Henry. One big happy family. 


	10. Babysitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not technically Joey related, but Wanderer deserves love.

I was at [@startistdoodles](https://tmblr.co/mJuUIVFyH87l9lVizPl0y8g) stream the other day, and she was drawing her Wanderer. And we all died from the sheer cuteness of Wanderer. And somehow I ended up rping with Star. [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) also got some quality time with Wanderer, who is a good girl who deserves the world.

And, um, I decided to write something with it. ^^” Because I want Wanderer to get love. 

* * *

Okay, so I have a tendency to get into weird situations. At least when it comes to matters of fiction. I have a lot of creative and weird friends. It comes with the territory. So, babysitting a strange inky monstrosity isn’t that uncommon an occurrence. I mean, I say babysitting, but I was really just visiting. The Joey that resides in that world isn’t all that fond of me. I mean, we haven’t talked too much, but I don’t really like him and I’m pretty sure he associates me with people who mean him harm. 

Anyway, I was visiting Wanderer, the creature who had once been Mary Jane Drew. We were drawing together while sitting on the floor. She was drawing patterns with her finger and I was sketching on a sketchpad. I don’t remember what I was saying exactly, probably something about how she deserved the world.

“SiLLy!!” She said, looking at me.

“Silly?” I echoed, tilting my head to the side. 

“SiLLy!” She repeated, nodding.

“Me or you?” I asked, unable to stop myself from smiling. 

“YoU’RE siLLY!!” She replied. 

“Yeah, I guess I am.” I laughed. Wanderer sat back on her haunches, looking very proud of herself. 

“You’re such a good girl,” I said, putting down my sketchpad. Wanderer’s eyes widened. I hadn’t thought it was possible for her eyes to get any wider, but they certainly were. 

“mE?” She whispered. 

“Yes, you.” I reached out and booped her nose, or roughly where her nose would be. Wanderer smiled wide and booped my nose back. 

“YeS, yOU.” She said, still looking very proud of herself. 

“Aw. Thank you.” I swept her up in a hug, kissing her head all over. She squealed, trying to squirm away, but I held her tight. I had meant what I said. She deserved the world. 


	11. Three Old Men Hunt Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norman, Gingie, and Snowy hunt some ghosts!  
> Warning, this chapter does have mentions of murder and cannibalism.

So, [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) posted some [doodles ](http://aceofintuition.tumblr.com/post/182020268203/some-various-au-sketches-with-snowy-and)of various AU’s they have involving their and [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) ‘s Joey’s. So I decided to write the Buzzfeed Unsolved one. 

* * *

The man colloquially known as ‘Snowy’ Drew did not believe in ghosts. Not in the slightest. He liked things he could touch, things he could see. He liked things that were tangible. Ghosts didn’t really fall into that category. Unfortunately for him, the man who had dubbed himself his ‘best friend’ very much believed in ghosts. And a lot of other things that Snowy didn’t really put any stock in. ‘Gingie’ Drew was almost the polar opposite of Snowy. He was fair skinned where Snowy was dark, short where Snowy was tall, whimsical and fanciful where Snowy was practical and rational. Technically speaking, they shouldn’t have been friends. And, at first, they hadn’t been. They’d met at an animation conference. Both of them were in the animation industry and had that in common at the very least, as well as the fact that they were both named Joey Drew. At first, their opposing personalities had caused them to hate each other. Until, that is, they’d discovered one other thing they had in common. Their love for their children. As soon as they both found out the other had a child and would do anything for them, their hatred toward each other cooled, and they’d quickly become quite close friends. 

But that was in the past. Now it was the middle of the night and Snowy was at the wheel of his car, Gingie in the passenger seat, headed to some random location that Gingie was convinced was haunted. In the backseat was Norman Polk, who was along to record the whole experience. See, Gingie had gotten the idea that it would be fun to start a web series. His daughter, adopted daughter really, liked watching videos on YouTube and had come across a web series where two men discussed supernatural occurrences and true crime. Gingie had thought this would be a marvelous idea. Snowy didn’t mind the idea. He found true crime to be rather interesting, and it was pretty entertaining to watch Gingie get excited about the supernatural. 

“You just enjoy all the compliments you get in the comments.” Ana had said. She wasn’t wrong. Snowy didn’t mind all the comments about his attractiveness, as well as the ones about how cute Joy was. She’d been on a few episodes, but only the ones where he thought the content was appropriate. Gingie had brought on his granddaughter, Linda, a few times as well. Again, only when the content was appropriate, because Marvin had given Gingie a thorough talking to about what exactly Linda would be exposed to. 

“Gingersnap, remind me why we have to do this in the middle of the night,” Snowy said as they drove down the dirt path to the cave. Because of course it was a cave. 

“Well, you wouldn’t expect a ghost to just appear in the middle of the day, would you?” Gingie replied. How on Earth did he have this much energy?! It was almost midnight and they’d both gotten up at 6 that morning!

“It’s a cave. It’s always dark in a cave. They can’t tell the difference.” 

“Well, yes…” Gingie hesitated a bit. “But the time is important. The supernatural is stronger during the witching hour.” Snowy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Yeah, sure, that checks out.” He muttered. 

A few minutes later they pulled up outside of the cave. They’d gotten permission to film in the cave, but there was still a guide from the park service waiting for them. The cave was, for the most part, undeveloped and thus rather dangerous. 

“Hello.” The park service employee waved wearily. They were a tired dark skinned 20-something dressed in a park uniform. Judging from the circles under their eyes, they were probably a pretty new hire. 

“Ah! You must be Ramirez!” Gingie scrambled out of the car, bounding up to shake the guide’s hand. They couldn’t help but smile a little at Gingie’s enthusiasm. 

“Um, yeah. That’s me.” They replied. “Are you guys the two Drew’s?” 

“Indeed we are!” Gingie grinned, shaking their hand excitedly. “I must say, it’s a pleasure to be here! Thank you so much for letting us film in the cavern!”

“Sorry we had to drag you out here so late,” Snowy said, walking up behind Gingie.

“It’s fine,” Ramirez assured him. “I’m used to being up this late anyway.”

“You in college?” Snowy asked as Gingie peered past their guide. 

“Yeah. I’m in my last year.” Ramirez nodded. “I’m working here part-time right now, but eventually I want this to be my permanent job.”

“That’s a rather noble ambition.” Gingie turned his attention back to Ramirez. “It’s very important to take care of the beauty that Mother Nature has given to us.”

“You really think so?” Ramirez smiled shyly. “My aunt told me it was stupid. But…my family doesn’t really talk to her anymore anyway.”

“Well, that was rude of her.” Gingie’s smile quickly turned to a frown. He soon launched into a motivational speech for the young park employee. Snowy went back to the car to check on Norman. The projectionist was unloading the camera and sound equipment from the trunk, doing quick tests to make sure everything was working the way it should. 

“Everything working?” Snowy asked, leaning down. 

“So far.” Norman nodded, picking up the main camera and hefting it onto his shoulder. 

“Thanks for sticking with us for this long,” Snowy said after a moment of silence. “We both really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem,” Norman replied. “If you both die horrific deaths, someone needs to record it.” 

“Ha ha. Very funny.” Snowy rolled his eyes. But Norman didn’t laugh. Snowy turned back to look at him. Norman just smiled at him. Snowy knew Norman was, in all likelihood, joking. But you could never quite tell with him.  

“Let’s, uh, let’s just go.” Snowy walked quickly towards the mouth of the cave. Norman hummed to himself, following. Gingie was still talking with Ramirez when Snowy and Norman got to them, both looking rather excited. 

“C’mon, Gingersnap.” Snowy grabbed Gingie by his collar. “Henry’ll have a heart attack if you suddenly adopt  _another_ kid.”

“I-I’m not trying to adopt them!” Gingie sputtered, his cheeks turning red. “We were simply talking!”

“Sure you were,” Snowy said. “That’s what you said with Francine too, and now you’re practically her dad.”

“You do have a tendency to adopt young people you like.” Norman agreed. 

“Not you too, Mr. Polk!” Gingie wailed. After a moment or two of bickering, they separated and got ready to do their intro. 

“Hello everyone!” Gingie waved at the camera. “This week, we’re investigating Echo Cave in our continuing quest to answer the question, are ghosts real? I must say, I’m rather excited!” 

“I’m just hoping I don’t get shit on by a bat.” Snowy shrugged. 

“In any case, let’s go!” Gingie beamed and started into the cave, followed by Snowy and Norman. Ramirez snorted a little as they followed the trio of men. They hadn’t been sure what to expect when their boss had told them they’d be escorting the hosts of a web series through the cave but it certainly hadn’t been this. Still, they were certainly interesting men.

As they got deeper, the light began to fade, prompting them to pull out their flashlights. Norman had a head mounted one, while the other three just had flashlights they were carrying. 

“So, what can you tell us about this place?” Snowy asked, looking back at them. Norman had begun recording by this point. 

“Well, it’s a naturally formed cave,” Ramirez said, shifting into tour guide mode. “For the most part, it’s just home to animals. Black bears, raccoons, squirrels. Things like that. Humans didn’t usually come here. But…” They paused for dramatic effect, shining their flashlight under their face. “There was one significant incident where humans visited this cave. It happened in the winter of 1856. Two men, explorers, were driven into this cave by a blizzard. They were ill prepared for the harsh conditions, and their supplies soon ran out.” Gingie was walking alongside them, watching with an eager look. Ramirez started to grin, but quickly cleared their throat and put on a serious expression. 

“They were in this cave for months, by themselves, trapped by the snow. Eventually, tensions began to rise. The two men began to turn on each other, convinced the other was out to get them. In the end, their hostilities boiled over, and they fought. Only one came out alive.” They lowered their voice. “And in the darkness of the cave, standing over the body of his friend, the victor’s hunger made itself known once more. It had been so long since he’d eaten. When other explorers found the cave, they found both men dead. The first from the fight, with great chunks of him ripped away. The second…from suicide. It appeared he was unable to cope with what he’d done. But no one was ever sure. They say his ghost haunts these caves, begging for forgiveness. Or maybe…Maybe he’s taken a liking to the taste of humans.” They leaned back, letting the words settle. 

“Oh, bravo!” Gingie tucked his flashlight under his arm so that he could applaud them. “That was wonderful!”

“You sure know how to tell a story, kid.” Snowy chuckled. 

“I didn’t go too far?” Ramirez smiled nervously. 

“No no! Not at all!” Gingie said. “It was very engaging!”

“Ghost stories aren’t really my thing, but you seemed like you were enjoying yourself, so I liked it.” Snowy agreed. Ramirez felt a bit of color rising to their cheeks at this praise.

“In all seriousness,” they cleared their throat. “Two explorers did get trapped in here by a blizzard, one killed the other, probably ate some of the other to survive, and then died. And people do say they see a man in 19th-century clothing wandering around here.”

“Which is why you wanted to come here.” Snowy looked pointedly at Gingie, who smiled sheepishly.

“I was hoping I could help but his soul to rest.” He admitted. “I brought supplies as well!” He began digging around in the bag he’d brought.

“We better not get possessed,” Snowy muttered. “Ana would kill me if I let myself be possessed.”

“My dear Snowy!” Gingie let out a horrified gasp. “I would never let something like that happen to you!”

“Do they get in situations where they might be possessed often?” Ramirez whispered to Norman, who snorted quietly. 

“More than you’d think.”

It didn’t take long before they’d reached the furthest point they could safely go. Ramirez told them when that was, gently tugging them back. 

“Alright!” Gingie brightened. “Well, now that we’re here, would you mind terribly if I brought out the spirit box?”

“I hate the spirit box.” Snowy wrinkled his nose in distaste.

“I know you do.” Gingie smiled apologetically as he pulled out the device. “So I won’t run it for too long.” Ramirez was about to ask why Snowy hated the spirit box. Then Gingie turned it on. And after a moment or two, they understood. The spirit box was loud and the constant switching of channels produced an irritating static. 

“Is there anyone here with us?” Gingie asked, his expression suddenly becoming serious. They all sat there in silence as the box kept switching channels. 

“If there is anyone here with us, could you tell me your name?”

Still nothing, but Ramirez could have sworn the air around them had gotten colder. They could see their breath in front of their face.

“Our guide has informed us that you were trapped here with your friend.” Gingie continued, his gaze firmly on the spirit box. “And that you killed your friend. Do you have anything to say about that?”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then a voice came out of the spirit box. 

“ _…erved it…_ ”

“Could you repeat that?” Gingie said calmly. 

_“He…deserved it…_ ” A chill ran down Ramirez’s spine at the voice coming from the box. It was low, raspy, and full of rage. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be!

“That’s hardly a fair thing to say.” Gingie shook his head, a disappointed look on his face. 

“Pretty sure his only mistake was getting stuck here with  _you_ ,” Snowy said with a snide smile. The air around them was only growing colder. Ramirez was beginning to shiver now, rubbing their hands on their arms. 

“ _You know…nothing…_ ” The voice from the box growled. Ramirez could almost make out the figure of a man over the box. A haggard looking man dressed in 19-century clothing.

“Oh, I think I know quite a bit.” Gingie smiled sweetly. “Such as how to get rid of you.” The figure of the man solidified and went for Gingie’s throat. Ramirez shrieked and stumbled back, dropping their flashlight. All the lights in the cave went out, leaving Ramirez in darkness. They could hear the sounds of a struggle, as well as Snowy cursing. When the lights came back on, Norman was standing over them, holding out a hand to the park employee. 

“You alright?” He rumbled.

“I…There was a ghost.” They stammered as Norman pulled them to their feet. “There was a man! And he talked to Mr. Drew and- and-” 

“A ghost?” Gingie looked around wildly. “Where?” He was still in the same position he’d been before the lights had gone out. Snowy was in the same place as well, yawning and stretching. 

“I…I thought…” Ramirez stared at the space where they’d seen the ghost. They had seen a ghost, hadn’t they? It had to have been there. 

“You alright, kid?” Snowy asked. “You took a bit of a tumble there when the lights went out.” 

“I…I’m okay.” Ramirez nodded slowly. Maybe…Maybe they were just working too hard. 

Gingie and Snowy messed around in the cave for a little longer before they had all the footage they needed and Ramirez led them back out of the cavern. The men thanked them for their time and left in Snowy’s car. When the video eventually went up, Ramirez watched it and found no evidence of the ghost they thought they’d seen. Maybe they’d been imagining things. But something about Gingie’s smile as he and Snowy had left made them wonder. Oh well. They had other things to worry about. 


	12. Is It Wrong To Be Angry?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had a rough day so I word vomited this out. It's like 2 AM

Today was a little difficult, so I decided to get it out via writing. 

Featuring [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) ‘s Gingie because I lashed out at him a bit because of how I was feeling.

* * *

She wasn’t sure how she’d found herself in his studio again. She knew what he’d done. While she did genuinely harbor kind feelings toward him, part of her was still angry he refused to admit his mistakes. Given her current state, it was likely not a good idea to be anywhere near him. But somehow, she’d ended up in Joey Drew Studios again, despondent and bitter. She stood in the middle of the entryway, staring at the warped and beaten boards. 

“My dear, what are you doing here?” His voice reached her before his footsteps did. “You know it’s dangerous.” She did know. So why was she here?

“I’m tired.” She said. Her voice was soft. Her shoulders slumped and she stared intently at the ground. 

“Tired…how?” He asked slowly.  He was standing in front of her now, giving her a good view of his shoes. Despite the ink that covered everything in the studio, he still seemed relatively untouched. The last time she’d been there, she’d admitted that there had been a time she’d wanted to sleep forever. Perhaps he was still worried about that. 

“Just tired.” She said. “Emotionally. Physically. It hasn’t been a good day.” 

“I see.” He clicked his tongue, reaching for her hand. “Why don’t I make you some tea? I’m sure that will make you feel better.” His hand met hers, but she jerked away, taking a step back. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, moving toward her. 

“Why don’t you want to admit you’re wrong?” She still wouldn’t meet his eyes. Her hands were fists by her sides. She didn’t know why she was bringing this up now. Something she’d heard, maybe. Maybe she was just angry. She hadn’t been angry for quite a while now. It was all bubbling over now. She was just so sick of all of it. 

“My dear girl-”

“I want an answer.” She said. 

“It’s not that simple.” He gripped his cane. 

“Yes, it is!” She stamped her foot. “Why do you not want to admit you made mistakes?! You’ve hurt a lot of people!” Suddenly, she was on the verge of tears, her face twisting as she tried desperately not to start sobbing. 

“I shouldn’t expect you to understand.” He looked away, lips set in a thin line. 

“Shouldn’t-” Her eyes snapped up to him, burning with an anger he’d never seen from her before. “Shouldn’t expect me to understand?! Don’t treat me like a fucking child! We’ve **all**  made mistakes! The difference is, most of us don’t try to convince ourselves that ruining our friends’ lives are justified!” She stabbed a finger into his chest. “Why don’t you try listening to the people around you for once?! Admit to your mistakes and try to fix them!” 

His expression was closed off, like a brick wall. But she could tell she’d cut him deep. She could feel it in the studio around her. Well, it took a victim to know just how to hurt a victim, didn’t it? Part of her wanted to stop, wanted to apologize and walk away. But her anger was too strong. 

“Fine. Run away from your problems. I shouldn’t have expected you’d ever try to change things. I thought you were different. But you’re just like all the others.” She pushed past him, storming into the depths of the studio. 

She knew as she walked away that she’d gone too far. She knew exactly how to get to him and she’d used it to stab him and twist the knife. She found a quiet place, sat down, hugged her knees, and cried. There was no excusing what she’d done. She’d been angry, yes, hurting, yes. But that didn’t give her the right to take it out on someone she knew wouldn’t fight back. 

In the end, she had to find him. Once she’d stopped crying, she looked for him. It was clear, though, that he didn’t particularly want to be found. The halls led her in circles, spitting her back out at the entrance. He wanted her to leave. But she wasn’t leaving before she’d apologized. 

“Please, I want to apologize.” She said weakly. “I went too far. I shouldn’t have said those things to you.” She made no excuses, used no pretty words. She was tired. Her chest felt hollow and her limbs ached. She sat down against the entrance hall wall. 

“I’m sorry.” She repeated, hugging her knees. “I’m just…No.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t make excuses.” 

The silence was deafening. She hunched her shoulders. She’d apologized, she told herself. She was going to try and fix it if she could. 

“Is it wrong to be angry?” She asked, despite knowing she wouldn’t get an answer. “Because I am. A lot. I’m angry about a lot of things.” She started to pick at her cuticles, as she did when she was nervous or needed something to do with her hands. 

“It’s stupid stuff.” She continued. “What I have to read in school, the type of things that are considered ‘classic’ literature, people who hurt me years ago. It’s all stupid stuff. Just…Stupid stuff.” That was what she kept telling herself. It was all stupid things. She was being unreasonable. It was her fault. 

“I’m sorry.” She smiled wearily. “I hurt you and now I’m just spouting all my bullshit problems like you’d actually want to listen. I got upset about my own situation and I took it out on you. And that’s not fair.” She stopped. She’d pulled too hard at the skin. Now she was bleeding. She put her thumb in her mouth, licking up the blood.

“I’ll…I’ll go now.” She stood up, still sucking the blood off her finger. “But…Please tell me if there’s anything I can do to fix what I did.” She took a deep breath. “I…I understand if you don’t want to forgive me. But…I still care about you a lot. And I don’t want this to be the end.” 

Then she turned and left. And it was quiet once more. 


	13. The Acolytes

[@startistdoodles](https://tmblr.co/mJuUIVFyH87l9lVizPl0y8g) did a new [picture](https://startistdoodles.tumblr.com/post/183247628945/i-had-a-daydream-once-of-instead-of-mj-becoming) where Mary Jane is a Lost One instead of Wanderer, and mentioned that MJ would probably be Sammy’s little prophet in training. And since I have a character who’s an avid devotee of Sammy, I thought I’d write something. 

A post has also been made about [Lost One MJ](https://startistdoodles.tumblr.com/post/183249242865/i-wonder-would-lost-one-mary-jane-technically)

Featuring, briefly, [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) ‘s Gingie and [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) ‘s Snowy.

* * *

Sammy had two people in his congregation that he trusted above all else.

The first was Cordelia Bell, a recent addition to their fold. She had been given the role of Sammy’s definitive acolyte due to her connection to him. Apparently, when the studio had still been running, she’d been Sammy’s assistant. She’d just arrived with Sammy one day. He’d announced that his acolyte had returned and that she would help them in their quest of spreading the word of their Lord. Cordelia followed Sammy with a sycophantic devotion, like a little lamb being led by its shepherd. His word was gospel to her. She would do whatever he asked.  Some of the Lost Ones liked to joke that Cordelia was sweet on their prophet. 

The other was Mary Jane Drew. Although she was the daughter of the man who’d put them in this position, none of them held any malice against her. Joey had killed her, same as the rest of them. She was a Lost One too. Sammy had taken her under his wing upon finding her and was trying to train her to become a prophet as well. She was considerably more coherent than many of the Lost Ones and Searchers, as well as having a slightly unique appearance. She was one of the most devoted of the bunch, a little prophet in training. But there was one area that she was a bit lacking in. 

That of sacrifices. 

Mary Jane wasn’t at all comfortable with sacrificing living creatures. She tried to sacrifice living targets, but she just couldn’t do it. Something about it just didn’t sit right with her. So, if there was a sacrifice Sammy needed to be made, he sent Cordelia to do it. 

“Do you think my devotion is strong enough?” Mary Jane asked one day. She and Cordelia were setting up cutouts near the Angel’s domain. Sammy liked doing that, especially given how angry it made the Angel.

“Why do you ask?” Cordelia glanced back at her. 

“No reason in particular.” Mary Jane set the cutout up against a wall, staring into the smiling visage of the Dancing Demon. 

“You’re special.” Cordelia walked up behind her, placing her ‘hands’ on Mary Jane’s shoulders. “Sammy said so. And Sammy’s never wrong.”

“Yes, of course.” Mary Jane nodded. 

“Besides, you give the others hope.” Cordelia continued. “When they hear you and Sammy speak, they’re saved! Their eyes are opened to the will of our Lord!” She was just regurgitating what she’d heard from Sammy before, and they both knew it. But her words still comforted Mary Jane.

“He did say there’s hope for me.” Mary Jane allowed herself a small smile.

“Of course there is!” Cordelia said brightly. “You have been blessed!” Cordelia was a little strange sometimes, but she never failed to brighten Mary Jane’s spirits. 

**_Like a court jester._ **

“We should be getting back now.” Mary Jane said, turning away from the cutout. “The Prophet has to be waiting for us.”

“Oh, yes! Of course.” Cordelia made a motion of hitting her head with her hand. “It completely slipped my mind! Silly me!” Mary Jane sighed and shook her head. Together, the two of them headed back to the safe room. Sometimes they stayed in the Lost One village, but Sammy moved around quite a bit and they tended to move with him.

Sammy was leading a sermon when they arrived. His voice swelled, filling the room up to the rafters as he spoke. 

“You’ve all heard him above us! Crawling! Crawling!” Sammy raised his hands. “He will save us! He will set us free! Through our devotion, he will free us from these inky shells!”

“He’s really something, isn’t he?” Cordelia said, clasping her hands together. 

“Yes, yes he is.” Mary Jane nodded. She’d been so lost when she’d woken up in this place. Her memories and feelings had been jumbled, but she’d known she was scared. She’d known someone had done something terrible to her. Then Sammy had found her. He had found her and he had given her hope. He’d given her a purpose, something to believe in. 

“How did it go?” Sammy walked up to them once he’d finished his sermon. “I hope the Angel didn’t give you much trouble.”

“There was no trouble, my prophet.” Mary Jane said. 

“There was the usual cursing and vowing to cut out our hearts, but nothing more than that.” Cordelia beamed at him.

“Well, I am glad that neither of you had your hearts cut out.” Sammy patted their heads. “I shudder to think of what I would do without the both of you.”

“You’re too kind, my prophet.” Mary Jane bowed her head, secretly beaming at the praise.

“Is there anything else you need done?” Cordelia asked. Sammy’s expression immediately darkened, causing both girls to stand up straighter. 

“We have an intruder.” He said. “They’re walking about the Music Department. I think they will make an excellent sacrifice for our Lord.”

“Would you like me to take care of it?” Cordelia immediately asked. 

“Yes,” Sammy said, and she started to leave before Sammy stopped her. “But I don’t believe you should do this alone.”

“Should I go with her?” Mary Jane asked tentatively. The idea of having to perform a sacrifice still bothered her. But if it would please their Lord, then she would try. She would always try. 

“That would be best, yes.” Sammy nodded. “Something tells me that this one might be…troublesome. I would go myself, but something else has come up that requires my attention.” 

“The stranger in the top hat?” Mary Jane and Cordelia asked together. There was a strange man in a cream suit and top hat who appeared occasionally. He seemed to know Mary Jane, as he always called out for her when he arrived. Her or someone called Wanderer. Something about him felt familiar to Mary Jane, but she stayed away from him. His presence upset their Lord.

“Not this time, thankfully.” He said. “I just need to get rid of some pests.” Occasionally, the Butcher Gang clones would start congregating in certain areas, prompting the need to clear them out.

“It must be really bad this time if you’re doing it yourself,” Cordelia said, clicking her tongue. 

“Yes and no.” Sammy shrugged slightly, grabbing his ax. “They will provide ample sacrifices for our Lord if the intruder gets away.”

“Of course.” Mary Jane bowed her head. She felt shamed tugging at her heart. Did he think she couldn’t do it? Did he think she would fail?

“I have the utmost faith in you both.” Sammy nodded curtly before disappearing into a puddle. Cordelia and Mary Jane began to leave but were stopped by one of the Lost Ones. 

“I-I’m sorry to bother you, my prophet.” The Lost One said quietly. “I just…My friend is having a crisis of faith. I thought, well, maybe you could talk to her.”

“Of course.” Mary Jane nodded. 

“Thank you.” The Lost One bobbed their head, gently leading Mary Jane to their friend. Mary Jane liked being a part of Sammy’s religion. It gave her purpose. The others depended on her. 

“She’s here.” The first Lost One paused in front another who was crying in a corner. 

“Why are you crying?” Mary Jane asked, kneeling beside them. The Lost One didn’t look up, just kept crying. 

“It doesn’t matter. None of it does!” They sobbed in the voice of a young woman. “This religion doesn’t mean anything!”

“Of course it means something.” Mary Jane said. “Our Lord will set us free. We just have to be patient.” The Lost One looked up at her, swatting her hand away when she tried to touch their shoulder. 

“Don’t you get it?” They snapped, stumbling to their feet. “Bendy’s never going to save us! All of this.” They gestured around the safe room. “None of it means anything! We’re just trying to distract ourselves from the reality that we’re trapped here! We’re never going to be able to be human again!”

“Leslie-” The Lost One who’d brought Mary Jane over tried to calm their friend, but Leslie just pushed them away. 

“He’s brainwashed all of you into thinking that we can fix this!” They continued to scream and shout, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “We keep killing people to satisfy something that doesn’t even care! Last week Ralph wandered out and it destroyed him!” 

One of their flock had ventured out into the halls to retrieve a possession from his human life and he hadn’t come back. Mary Jane remembered that another Lost One had been with him. Evidently, it had been this one.

“Leslie, accidents happen.” The first Lost One tried again to calm their friend. “We don’t even know if it was our Lord.”

“I FUCKING SAW IT!” Leslie shrieked. “I SAW THAT BASTARD WALK OUT OF A WALL AND MELT RALPH LIKE A FUCKING POPSICLE!”

“Then Ralph ran afoul of our Lord.” Mary Jane said calmly, hands folded demurely in her lap. “Everything he does have a purpose. If your friend was returned to the puddles, it was because he did something wrong.” Leslie stared at Mary Jane for a moment, rage burning in their eyes. 

“He wanted to get the picture of his daughter he kept on his desk.” They finally spoke, voice cold. “He missed her. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“We have to have faith if we wish to return to our families.” Mary Jane remained calm. “We must be careful of our actions. If our Lord punished him, it was for a reason.”

“There isn’t a reason! There’s never a reason!” Leslie stomped their feet. 

“There’s always a reason.” Mary Jane’s reply was firmer this time. She was quickly losing her patience with this Lost One. Behind her, Cordelia’s grin had widened to consume most of her face. It looked like Bendy’s smile.

“Would you like me to take care of her, my prophet?” She asked, leaning toward the offending Lost One. She was dripping onto the floor, her proportions becoming distorted and horrifying. Mary Jane flinched a little.

“No, it’s alright.” She shook her head. She didn’t like resorting to violence when she didn’t have to.

“I’m so sorry.” The first Lost One murmured, wringing their hands beside Mary Jane. “I don’t understand why she’s acting like this.” The other Lost Ones were started to gather around now, stunned and horrified by Leslie’s words.

“What do they think they’re doing?”

“They’re lucky Sammy isn’t here. He’d set them straight.”

“I’m sure they just need to get this out of their system. It’ll be fine! I’m sure it’ll be fine!”

“They were making so much progress…It’s a shame they’ll be sent back.”

“I’m right. You know I’m right.” Leslie said, glaring down at Mary Jane.

“So?” 

This simple answer stunned Leslie, and they took a step back. They had expected the prophet in training to get angry, to yell. But instead, she did nothing.

“E-Excuse me?”

“So what?” Mary Jane stood up. “What happens if you are right? What do we do then? Sink into despair? Suffer here alone?”

“We need to face reality.” Leslie insisted, but their voice was weaker now. Mary Jane’s gaze was cold and detached, almost robotic. 

“And how will ‘facing reality’ help us?” Mary Jane asked, sardonically using finger quotes. “What use is it to follow your lead? What right do you have to take hope away from all these people?” She gestured behind in a wide sweeping gesture.

“I…” Leslie took an instinctive step back.

“Well?” Mary Jane’s singular visible eye bored into Leslie’s. Leslie flinched back, whimpering at the expression in the younger Lost One’s eye.

“That’s what I thought.” Mary Jane turned away, nodding her head to Cordelia. “Let’s go deal with the intruder.” 

“Of course!” Cordelia glanced back at Leslie, her Bendy-esque smile beginning to fade into a more normal one. The two of them slipped out of the safe room and into a puddle, heading for the music department.

“I suppose Sammy will send them back to the puddles later.” Cordelia hummed as she and Mary Jane traveled. “Even if we don’t tell him about this, the others will.”

“It’s sad, but they need to learn.” Mary Jane sighed. “That sort of attitude is unnecessary.” The Lost Ones needed hope.  _ **She**_  needed hope.

“I’m glad you and Sammy are here.” Mary Jane looked over, surprised by how soft Cordelia’s voice suddenly was. They had exited the puddles in the band room, right outside Sammy’s sanctuary. In the dim light, Cordelia almost looked human. She stood up taller, her form much less goopy. She had a soft smile on her face. 

“I’m glad I can help.” Mary Jane nodded, moving past her. When she looked back, Cordelia had returned to her normal Searcher-like form. As they approached the door leading out into the music department, they could hear two men bickering.

“I’m telling you, Snowy, something doesn’t feel right.” Mary Jane recognized this voice as the one belonging to the man with the top hat. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of her.”

“Maybe you messed up and stumbled into some universe where she’s not here.” Another man said. Mary Jane didn’t recognize this voice. It sounded similar to that of her father’s, which instinctively made her hunch her shoulders. 

“Just because you can’t find her doesn’t mean she’s here, Gingersnap.” The new stranger continued. 

“She’s here.” The top hat man insisted. “Sammy, this universe’s Sammy, told me to stay away from her. He called her his little lamb.” There was a beat of silence before the stranger sighed heavily.

“Alright, fine. Maybe she’s here. What do you want to do about it?”

“I…don’t know.” The top hat man admitted. “But if a version of her is trapped here, then I want to save her.”

“And if she doesn’t want to be saved?”

“What are you saying?” The top hat man sounded taken aback, almost horrified. 

“I don’t know.” The stranger sighed again. “But you know what Prophet Sammy is like. If she’s close to him then…She might not be in her right mind.” 

“Nonsense.” The top hat man scoffed, although Mary Jane could hear a quiver in his voice.

“I’m just saying.” The stranger said. “You better be prepared.”

“Why are you hesitating?” Cordelia asked quietly. 

“I wanted to hear what they had to say.” Mary Jane whispered back. She didn’t know why these men knew her. They shouldn’t know her. She didn’t recognize their voices, nor the top hat man’s face. She had never met these men before. So why did they talk as though they knew her? Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and exited into the main hall of the Music Department. 

Standing there were two men. One was the small man with the top hat. He was dressed in a white suit, as usual. The other man was tall, with dark skin and snow white hair. He was dressed smartly in a dress shirt, dress pants, and a vest. Both men turned upon hearing her walk up. The man with the top hat looked distraught when he laid eyes on her. The tall man just looked resigned. 

“Mary Jane, my darling girl.” The man in the top hat almost wailed. “What happened to you?”

“My father happened to me.” Mary Jane replied, Cordelia at her back. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“You don’t…recognize me?” The top hat man took a step back, his eyes wide. Mary Jane could see tears glittering in those brown eyes. 

“I  _recognize_  you, yes, but that doesn’t mean I know you.” Mary Jane said. “You’ve come here before, always asking for me. Why?” The top hat man was at a loss for words, simply staring at her. She supposed he was in shock. Obviously, she didn’t fit whatever 

“So, are you Sammy’s disciple or something?” The tall man asked. “Gingersnap here says every time he’s showed up, Sammy’s told him to stay away from you.”

“He’s teaching me how to be a prophet like him.” Mary Jane tensed a bit at the mention of her mentor. “Someone has to help give the others hope.” 

The tall man nodded, gaze shifting to Cordelia. “And who’s your friend?”

“I am but a simple acolyte,” Cordelia replied, her smile stretching to become the Bendy one. “Nothing more, nothing less.” The tall man’s nose scrunched in what might have been disgust. 

“Oookay.” He said slowly, looking back at Mary Jane. “I’m guessing you’re not really in the mood to be saved, are you?”

“It’s rather arrogant of you to assume you could save me.” Mary Jane narrowed her eye. “Only our Lord can save us from this inky Hell.” 

“How did this happen?” The top hat man whispered, beginning to pass his cane from hand to hand.

“I told you, my father happened.” Mary Jane snapped. Her patience with these men was growing thin. 

“She was so sweet before. So innocent.” The top hat man wrung his hands on the cane. 

“Gingersnap, I think you should stop.” The tall man’s voice held a sense of urgency. Mary Jane was quickly starting to lose her temper, and behind her Cordelia’s form was growing increasingly terrifying and goopy.

“Well, I’m sorry I’m not what you think you remember!” Mary Jane snarled. “But I’ve been stuck in this hellhole for years! You have no right to judge me!” 

Before she could say anything else, Cordelia launched herself over the girl’s shoulder and at the two men. The tall men scooped the top hat man off, just barely managing to get him away from the deranged acolyte. The top hat man still seemed to be bemoaning Mary Jane’s change, barely noticing as the tall man took off with him. Cordelia didn’t give chase. She knew, somehow, she wouldn’t catch these men. So she turned her attention back to Mary Jane. 

“Are you alright, my prophet?” She asked, pulling her form together so that she could cup stand tall and cup Mary Jane’s face in her hands. The younger girl had begun to cry, trying to wipe her inky tears away.

“I’m fine.” Mary Jane hiccuped. What right did those men have to judge her? It wasn’t as though she  **wanted**  to be this way. She wanted more than anything to go back to being human, to go back to the person she had once been.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Cordelia clicked her tongue, pulling Mary Jane to her chest. “It’s going to be alright. You and Sammy will lead us to salvation. Our Lord will set us free.” Mary Jane closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. Bendy would set them free. He would set them all free.


	14. Monsters Ink?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically a reverse Monsters Inc

 [@startistdoodles](https://tmblr.co/mJuUIVFyH87l9lVizPl0y8g) did [this](https://startistdoodles.tumblr.com/post/183318194090/aceofintuition-said-that-this-au-is-basically) and now I want to write it.

Consider this an apology for my last story. ^^”

Hyde and Wanderer are hers. 

Gingie belongs to [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ)

Ana and Snowy are [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ)‘s

* * *

The man known colloquially as Snowy Drew liked to have a certain routine to his life. His housemate and work partner bringing home an eldritch abomination their boss had created was not part of that routine.

“What on Earth were you thinking, Gingersnap?!” He hissed, eyes darting back to the creature playing in the middle of their living room. It had found a teddy bear that Gingie had sewn and was happily playing with it while singing in its strange garbled voice. “I was sick for one day and you bring home a monster! That thing could kill us!”

“She wouldn’t hurt a fly, I’m sure of it.” Gingie waved a hand dismissively. “Look at her. She’s adorable!”

“Then why are you wearing oven mitts and a colander on your head?” Snowy folded his arms. Gingie flushed, quickly taking off the colander and oven mitts. 

“I was trying to be careful.” He awkwardly cleared his throat. “We don’t know if the ink will infect us.” Her body was made up of ink, from what they’d both seen, and they both knew Hyde’s little experiments heavily involved the ink. 

“I thought you said wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“She wouldn’t!” Gingie insisted. “At least, not on purpose.“ 

“Well, that’s nice to know,” Snowy replied dryly. Gingie sighed, rubbing his temples.

“I don’t think she’s dangerous.” He said. 

“Really?! Well, in that case, let’s keep it!” Snowy’s sarcasm was palpable. “I always wanted a pet that could kill me!”

“My dear boy, that’s not terribly helpful.”  

Snowy groaned, beginning to pace the length of the room and running his hands through his hair. 

“Why did you even bring it here?” He groaned. “That thing’s Hyde’s little pet project, isn’t it?” They weren’t supposed to know about Hyde’s experiments. But Snowy had a burning hatred of the other man and so had set about trying to discover just what their boss was so secretive about. Gingie had been more than happy to help, thinking of it all as a big adventure. That was how they’d discovered the lab and the creature that was currently in their living room. 

“First of all, she is not a thing,” Gingie said. “Second of all, I couldn’t just leave her there! You saw where he was keeping her!” Snowy grimaced a bit. The cage had been rather small. Barely big enough for the creature to lay comfortably in. And Snowy was pretty sure Hyde didn’t clean it.

“Alright. Fine. You have a point.” He sighed, pinching his nose. “But what are we going to do with it- her?” He quickly corrected himself. “That bastard’s probably going to be looking for her.”

“Oh…Yes…You have a point.” Gingie’s face fell. Snowy stared at him for a moment, trying to fight back the urge to shake his friend.

“God, you didn’t think this through, did you?” 

“I…may have reacted a bit on impulse.” Gingie smiled sheepishly. “I just couldn’t leave her there. She’s just a child!” They both looked back at the creature on the floor. She was making the teddy bear dance now, singing a little song as she did. 

“This is gonna be a nightmare when we have to go in tomorrow,” Snowy said. 

“I know.” Gingie nodded, smiling softly. “But it’s worth it if she’s safe.” Snowy looked back at the creature. He had to admit, she was surprisingly cute for a strange inky abomination. The creature looked over at them, her face lighting up.

“ ** _KiTTy_**!” She proclaimed, reaching for Gingie. Instinctively, the ginger-haired man hopped up onto a trunk. 

“Kitty?” Snowy snorted, moving aside as the creature grabbed for Gingie. “Where’d she get that?”

“Well, erm, it’s probably because of my whiskers.” Gingie laughed nervously. He slowly got down. Gingerly, he picked her up. Her eyes widened and she made happy noises, rubbing her face against his. This smeared ink across his skin, but the ink thankfully didn’t seem as though it would infect him.

“There we are.” Gingie’s expression softened. “What a sweet girl you are.” Her large horns made it difficult for her to rest comfortably in his arms, but she seemed delighted to be held and hugged. 

“Is there something we should call her?” Snowy asked, walking over to pat her head. This only served to make the creature even happier. 

“I do believe Hyde called her Wanderer,” Gingie said. “So until we can find a different name for her, I suggest we call her that.”

“Alright. Wanderer it is.” Snowy couldn’t help but smile as well. She was surprisingly cute. 

“ ** _KiTTy!! KiTTy!!_** ” Wanderer kept exclaiming, nuzzling Gingie. 

“Yes, my dear.” Gingie cooed, patting her head. “Oh! Do you think we should set up a room for her? I imagine she’d like to have a bed. Oh! I wonder if she would want some clothes!” They’d only had her for an hour or so and already Gingie was in full on parent mode.

“Don’t you already have a kid?” Snowy asked, trying to hide his growing smirk. Gingie turned his gaze cautiously to Snowy. 

“Yes.” He said slowly.

“And doesn’t your son also have a baby daughter?” 

“He does.” Gingie narrowed his eyes. “I fail to see what this has to do with this situation.”

“What I mean is, don’t you already have enough kids in your life?” Snowy started to laugh. 

“But she needs us!” Gingie said, looking aghast. “Look at her!” He turned Wanderer’s head toward Snowy. Wanderer looked curiously at the tall man, her head tilted to the side in a rather adorable manner. 

“I never said we should get rid of her,” Snowy replied. “I just think you have kind of a problem. You can’t just adopt every kid you meet.”

“I do not do that.” Gingie huffed, starting to walk away. “Come along, dear, we must get you settled.” Snowy rolled his eyes, going to get the cleaning supplies. Their new addition to the house had made quite a mess.

The next morning, they came up with a plan.

“One of us needs to go in and scope out the situation,” Snowy said. “See how much Hyde knows. You’re a lot more comfortable with the kid, so you should stay here.”

“Are you sure?” Gingie asked, stirring his tea. It was peppermint tea this morning. Gingie had gone to the store the other day and brought home a large collection of teas he’d discovered. The store had just started stocking some new brands that came with new flavors. Gingie, of course, had gotten excited. 

“I’m sure.” Snowy nodded. “Besides, you’ve already bonded with the kid. Makes sense you should stay with her.”

“Well, alright.” Gingie pursed his lips and sighed. “But be careful.” Snowy was a level-headed man most of the time. But Hyde always seemed to bring out the worst in him.

“It’ll be fine.” Snowy got up, giving Gingie a big grin. “I can handle myself.”

The first thing he did when he got in was to visit Ana. Some of the assholes in the office liked to refer to her as a receptionist, but she was actually the head writer for the show. Most of the scripts they pumped out came from her. She was damn good at it too. She had such a way with words. Not to mention, she was tough as nails and didn’t back down from anything. Snowy was head over heels for her. She was on the phone when Snowy approached. 

“I’ll have the script ready by Friday. I just need to figure out a few details.” She said, noting something down on the clipboard in front of her. The person on the other end said something, prompting her to roll her eyes and sigh heavily. “Sir, Friday is the soonest I’ll be able to get it to you.” 

It was clear now that she was speaking with Hyde. Snowy could hear him yelling, even from a few feet away. 

“Are you done?” Ana asked, pausing in her writing. “My answer is the same. Friday is the soonest I can get it out. No amount of swearing will make the other writers get back to me any faster. Have a nice day.” Then she hung up, putting the pad down and groaning.

“Tough call?” Snowy leaned on the desk.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” Ana didn’t look up, starting to log something into her computer. “You feeling better?”

“I am, thank you.” 

“I was a little worried.” She glanced back at him with something that might have been a smirk. “The way Gin ran out of here the other day, I thought you were dying.”

“He started feeling sick. Came home and started throwing up.” The lie slipped easily from his lips. 

“That’s unfortunate.” She turned in her chair to look at him. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“He’ll be fine. He probably just ate something bad.” Snowy waved off the question. “Anyway, how’s the bossman?”

“He’s in one of his moods.” Ana’s smile immediately dropped. “I’m sure you heard him yelling. I don’t know how many more times we’ll have to go through this before he finally gets it.”

“What are you waiting on?”

“A few of the other writers need to get back to me on plot points.” Her gaze returned to her notepad. “We’re having a little trouble figuring out the ending.”

“Endings are hard.” Snowy nodded. “Or so I’ve heard.”

“They are.” Ana turned back to her computer. “I told Hyde you wouldn’t be here today, I thought you’d still be sick, so you might not want to let him see you. He’ll probably try to dump a mountain of work on you.”

“Thank you, Ana.” He blew her a kiss, starting to walk away. 

“Thank me with dinner.” She replied with a smirk. “You’ve been promising me for weeks.”

“I’ll get some reservations!” He called back to her before disappearing down a hallway. 

Once he was out of sight, he let his smile drop. Hyde being in a mood didn’t necessarily mean he’d found out about Wanderer’s disappearance, but it was more than likely that that was what he was so upset about. He needed to be careful. He crept through the hallways, making sure to stay out of sight. He wasn’t sure if he could risk going down to Hyde’s lab, but he did want to get a look down there to see if there was anything he could find about Wanderer. He was just about to head down the path to the lab when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He almost jumped out of his skin, until he heard a familiar voice. 

“What’re you sneakin’ around for, Mr. Drew?”

“For fu- You nearly scared me half to death, Wally!” Snowy snapped, rounding on the janitor. For someone so loud, Wally could be surprisingly quiet when he was moving around. 

Wally put his hands up. “Yeesh, sorry. I was just wondering what you’re doin’ in today. Miss Ana said you and the other Mr. Drew were sick.”

“We are. I just needed to grab some paperwork.” Snowy said. “Gin had something he wanted to work on, but he’s puking his guts out right now.”

“Oof.” Wally grimaced. “Guess he caught what you had, huh?” Wally had had to clean up Snowy’s vomit a few days before when the older man had gotten sick at his desk. 

“Something like that.”

“Well, I hope he feels better.” Wally smiled at him. He started to leave, but Snowy caught him by the shoulder. 

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Hyde you saw me.” He said, returning Wally’s smile. “He’d try to drag me into working. I’m just here to pick up some stuff, that’s all.”

“Of course.” Wally nodded, doing a mock salute. “I didn’t see ya!” Then he was off, whistling down the hallway. Snowy let himself relax a bit. It was probably too dangerous to stay here. He grabbed some papers from his desk and headed back home.

When he arrived back at the house, he found Gingie playing with Wanderer in the living room. The ginger-haired man had set down a tarp and was fingerpainting with the creature. Snowy snorted, closing and locking the front door behind him.

“You’ve been busy.”

“Oh! Snowy! You’re just in time!” Gingie stumbled to his feet, reaching out to drag Snowy down to sit with them. “Come! Join us!” Snowy reeled back a bit. 

“Let me change into something I’m willing to get dirty, alright?” He said. 

“Ah, alright.” Gingie sat back down, allowing Snowy to go change. Snowy returned a few minutes later in older and more beaten up clothes. Wanderer’s ink was mottled with the paint she was smearing on the paper and she seemed to be having the time of her life. 

“She’s really liking this, isn’t she?” Snowy asked, settling down on the other side of her. 

“She is!” Gingie nodded, clapping his hands together. “It’s always so lovely to see someone enjoying art.” 

“Yeah, it is.” Snowy smiled and patted Wanderer’s head. He was really starting to warm up to the little girl. There was no way he was going to let Hyde take her back. No way. She was his and Gingie’s now. 


	15. April Fool's

Because it is April Fool’s, and because of the Gingie event on [@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) and[ this](https://pipesflowforeverandever.tumblr.com/post/183874228643/if-gingie-were-to-pull-a-prank-on-someone-i-cant), I decided I’d write this. 

* * *

“Sammy! I brought something for you!” 

Sammy looked up from his work, instinctively pushing his glasses up his nose. His boss stood beside his desk, holding out what appeared to be a chocolate cake with a big grin on his face. 

“Oh, how kind.” Sammy took the cake and placed it carefully on his desk. “Thank you, Joey.” He couldn’t help but wonder what the occasion might be, but he didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. A cake was a cake, and Joey’s baking was always good. 

“You’re very welcome!” Joey said brightly, placing a fork beside the cake. Then he began to giggle, watching Sammy eagerly. 

“Is something funny?” Sammy asked, picking up the fork.

“No no! I’m simply excited to see you try the cake!” Joey said. “It’s a new recipe!” His voice went up an octave as he tried to stifle his laughter. 

For a moment, Sammy frowned, unsure why his boss was suddenly acting this way. Then he remembered what day it was. Well, that certainly explained why Francine was in the doorway, trying desperately to stay out of sight while giggling like a maniac. Sammy couldn’t help but smile. 

“I’m sure it will be excellent.” He said. Joey’s giggling got louder as Sammy brought the fork down and took a piece from the cake. He had known the cake likely wouldn’t be chocolate cake, but he was still surprised when the taste of vanilla and buttercream coated his tongue. His eyes widened slightly. 

“You must forgive me, Sammy, but I’m afraid I’ve tricked you!” Joey clapped his hands together, looking both delighted and a bit apologetic. “It’s not chocolate cake! It’s vanilla with buttercream!” By the door, Francine looked rather proud of herself. This had probably been her idea to begin with. Joey had never really been one to pull pranks. He always said they were cruel. Sammy laughed and shook his head. 

“You certainly got me.” He said. 

“I do hope you’re not too upset with me.” Joey’s smile dropped a bit. “I know you wanted chocolate cake.”

“It’s fine,” Sammy assured him. “The cake is still very good.”

“Oh good!” Joey brightened once more. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have others I must bamboozle! Francine has introduced me to a delightful thing called ‘rickrolling’!” He darted out of the office, looking rather like an excited child as Francine followed him. Sammy laughed quietly to himself, rolling his eyes and going back to the cake. He’d never really been a fan of April Fool’s jokes. A lot of them tended to be mean-spirited and harmful. But the way Joey did it? Well, maybe Sammy could get used to this sort of thing. The cake was good. Joey’s baking always was. 


	16. I Guess I Have Another Grandpa Now?

[@pipesflowforeverandever](https://tmblr.co/m2zmumMEKoKDrJDlESd5txQ) made a series of [posts](https://pipesflowforeverandever.tumblr.com/post/183990135598/pipesflowforeverandever) about her Vampire!Gin and I wanted to write it so bad.

The Vampire!Gin AU is directly connected to [@aceofintuition](https://tmblr.co/mDWgNFUdJwq2ycefKQTVhZQ) ‘s [Werecat](http://aceofintuition.tumblr.com/post/182062306713/what-is-snowys-spirit-animal-if-i-had-to-guess) [AU](http://aceofintuition.tumblr.com/post/182084998003/i-want-to-just-bury-my-face-in-werecat-snowys). Which is why Snowy, Joy, and Ana appear in it

* * *

It was late at night and I was walking home. My club had gotten out later than I’d anticipated, so I was walking home in the dark. Technically, I could have taken a bus all the way home, but it was a nice night so I thought I’d just walk home from the train station. I needed the exercise anyway. My earbuds were in and I was quietly singing along to the song that had come on. It was a peppy one that made me pick up my pace. I was cutting through the forest preserve since I didn’t get many chances to go through it. It was a beautiful night. The moon was shining amongst a series of glittering stars in the dark velvet sky, a warm wind blowing through the trees. I exhaled slowly, allowing myself a smile. Nature really could be so amazing sometimes. 

Suddenly, a flash of white caught my eye and my breath caught in my throat. A little white bat was flying toward me. I immediately stopped in my tracks, taking my earbuds out and watching as the teeny bat flew down. I’d never seen a bat in real life before. They just didn’t live in my area. Instinctively, I cupped my hands so that the little bat could settle in them. It landed in my hands and I let out a small squeak. It was so small, its fur so soft. 

“Hey there, little guy,” I whispered, bringing my cupped hands up to my face. I could have sworn it was smiling at me as it made cute little squeaking noises. 

“Aren’t you just the cutest little thing?” I cooed, shifting the bat to one hand and tapping its little nose with one outstretched finger. It almost seemed to giggle, wiggling a bit and making happy sounds. I let out a small squeal, rubbing it against my face. I knew it was probably dangerous to be fondling a bat like this, but it was so cute!

“You’re so cute.” I kept rubbing it against my cheek. The bat made more happy noises, or at least noises I hoped were happy. Then it flapped its wings and flew out of my hands. For a moment, I thought it was going to fly away. Then it started pressing little kisses to my cheeks. 

“Hey!” I giggled. “What are you doing?” The bat didn’t pause, continuing to plant little kisses all over my face. It was an interesting feeling, being kissed by a bat. It honestly tickled a little bit. I giggled louder, scrunching my nose up and closing my eyes. After a minute or so, though, the kisses changed. They no longer felt like bat kisses, but more like the kisses a human would give. And I could have sworn someone was holding my face. 

When I opened my eyes, the bat was gone. But there was someone who was still kissing all over my face. An older man, maybe 50 at the youngest, wearing a red and white suit and a top hat of all things. His skin was pale, almost unhealthily so, and he had rather vibrant orange hair. He was kissing all over my face in the way a grandparent would kiss their grandchild. He did look kind of like a grandpa with his circular glasses and wrinkles. I let out a small squeak, jerking away. The man looked rather disappointed.

“W-Who are you?!” My voice went up an octave.

“Ah! How rude of me! I didn’t introduce myself!” The man exclaimed. “My name is Joey Drew! Although, my friends tend to call me Gingersnap. Gingie seems to have stuck the most, though.”

“How- Where did the bat go? Are you the bat?”

“I am.” He nodded, smiling brightly. He had a nice smile. A kind smile. He looked like a kindly grandpa. No! I couldn’t be sucked in by his charm! This was a strange man!

“How were you the bat?” I demanded. “People can’t just turn into bats.”

“Yes, that is true,” Gingie replied with a mischevious sparkle in his eye. “But I am no ordinary person.” I stared blankly at him. He stared expectantly back at me.

“I don’t know what that means.” I finally said.

“I’m a vampire!” He smiled again. Now that I looked closer, I could definitely see what were probably his fangs. Quickly, my fear and apprehension turned to interest. 

“You’re…a vampire?” My voice was quiet, almost reverent. I’d always been such a fantasy nerd, and I thought vampires were just the coolest thing. Although, this guy didn’t really seem like the kind of person I pictured when I thought of a vampire. 

“I didn’t know vampires were even real,” I whispered, then my eyes widened and I stumbled back. “Wait, are you going to try and suck my blood?! Please don’t kill me!”

“Of course not!” Gingie looked rather offended at the idea. “I only drink from animals and willing humans! And never enough to kill anyone!” I stayed where I was, still nervous. He may have seemed sweet, but he was a vampire. Vampires were dangerous. At least, all the vampires I’d read about were dangerous. Gingie’s expression softened and he took a step closer. 

“My dear girl, I truly don’t want to hurt you.” He smiled gently. I was about to reply, but then my stomach growled loudly. I closed my eyes, making a small whimpering sound. Seriously?! I was totally messing up my chances of this vampire thinking I was cool. He probably thought I was a dork. When I opened my eyes, he had a disapproving look on his face. 

“Have you not eaten yet?” He demanded, arms crossed. 

“Um…No?” I smiled sheepishly. “I was, uh, headed home to eat.”

“My dear, it is almost 8 at night!” He huffed. “This cannot stand!” He grabbed my arm and started to tug me in a direction that was not toward my house. 

“Where are we going?” I asked, feeling my heart rate beginning to speed up in panic. Was I being kidnapped? Was he going to eat me?! He’d said he wouldn’t, but vampires were dangerous!

“A friend of mine lives close by,” Gingie said brightly. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if we dropped by for dinner!”

“It’s okay, I can just get food at my house.” I tried to pull away. “I don’t want to be a nuisance.”

“Nonsense!” Gingie scoffed. “It’s no trouble! He’ll be happy to see us, I’m sure!”

I was dragged to a nice little house in the suburbs, one that looked a little bit like my own. Gingie waltzed up to the front door and knocked, a huge smile on his face. It was opened by a beautiful woman with a child at her side. She had dark skin and brown hair, which the girl beside her shared. One difference, though, was that the little girl had blue eyes. 

“Grandpa Gingie!” The little girl exclaimed, throwing herself at Gingie. 

“Hello, my little jellybean!” Gingie scooped her up in his arms, spinning her around. The dark skinned woman smiled softly, noticing me after a moment. 

“Hello.” She said. Her expression changed to one of slight resignation and amusement. I wondered if this was the first time Gingie had brought someone to her house. 

“Hi.” I waved awkwardly. “I-I’m sorry. I hope I’m not intruding.”

“Don’t worry. You don’t have anything to apologize for.” She assured me. “He probably dragged you over here, didn’t he?” She glanced at Gingie, who had transitioned into holding the little girl in his arms, asking her how her day had been.

“He, uh, he did.”

“Well, if you’re here, you might as well come in.” The woman stood aside, allowing me to enter. I walked in behind Gingie, more than a little nervous. I really didn’t want to be a nuisance to these people. I didn’t even know them! I didn’t even really know Gingie!

“Who was at the door?” A man’s voice came from the kitchen area. 

“Just Gingie.” The woman replied. “He brought a friend.”

“Oh for crying out-” A man stormed out of the kitchen. Like the girl and the woman, he had dark skin. His eyes were blue like the girl’s, and his hair was strikingly silver, even though he didn’t look all that old. He was very tall and very angry looking and I squeaked and shrank back a bit. Thankfully, though, the man’s anger didn’t seem to be directed at me. He marched up to Gingie, hands on his hips. Gingie quickly handed the little girl off to her mother.

“You’ve gotta stop picking up these kids! One of these days, someone’s going to call the cops on you for basically kidnapping them!” The man said, sounding rather like a scolding parent. He was a parent, from what I could tell. I couldn’t help but giggle a little at this. 

“I did not kidnap her!” Gingie frowned. “She hadn’t eaten and I said she could get some food here, that’s all.” The man sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Do you even know her name?” He asked. 

“Of course!” Gingie replied. “It’s…” He trailed off, slowly realizing he’d never asked what my name was. 

“My apologies, but I don’t believe I ever asked your name.” He smiled sheepishly toward me. 

“It’s Fiona.” I tried to stifle a laugh, but it slipped out anyway.

“Well, it’s lovely to properly meet you, Miss Fiona.” Gingie took my hand, shaking it enthusiastically. “This is my friend, Snowy!”

“We’re both named Joey Drew, so we use nicknames to distinguish ourselves,” Snowy explained, still watching Gingie with weary resignation. “Sorry he basically kidnapped you.”

“No, it’s okay,” I waved my hands in an attempt to deny the apology. “I don’t mind. I’m sorry for intruding.”

“Like I said before, you don’t have anything to apologize for.” The woman said. “Gingie was the one who dragged you over here.”

“This is the lovely Ana!” Gingie gestured to her excitedly. “She and Snowy are married.”

“I’m Joy!” The little girl proclaimed proudly.

“It’s nice to meet you all.” I managed a smile. 

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Ana said. I felt a bit better about being here since she didn’t seem all that bothered by my presence. Clearly, Gingie had done this before.

“This is like Francine all over again,” Snowy muttered, sighing heavily. “Do you need to tell your folks where you are, kid?”

“Oh! Yeah!” I fumbled out my phone. “They’ll probably get worried if I’m not home before 10.” I typed out a message and sent it to my parents. While I did this, Ana, Joy, and Snowy started setting the table and getting the food out. Gingie stood by me, rocking on his heels and humming. 

“Are you sure this is alright?” I asked quietly as I put my phone away. 

“Oh, it’s fine.” Gingie waved a hand. “Snowy will make a big deal about it, but he doesn’t mind.”

So, I ended up having dinner with Gingie and Snowy’s family. Joy insisted I sit beside her so that she could ask me questions. She was especially cute, so I didn’t mind. I’d never really been sure how to interact with small children, but I was going to do my best.

“You have really pretty hair.” She said. “Are you magic like Grandpa Gingie?” I’d gotten my hair dyed purple recently and it always seemed to delight small children.

“Uh, no, I’m not.” I smiled apologetically. “I’m just a regular human.” Joy nodded solemnly, one hand on her chin.

“That’s okay.” She finally said, putting a hand on my arm. “Not everyone can be magic.” I tried very hard to keep a straight face.

While we ate, I told them some basic details about myself. Where I was going to school, what I liked, a little about my family. Snowy kept looking pointedly at Gingie, especially when I mentioned that I only lived about 20 minutes away. Once dinner was over, I got up to leave when Gingie caught my arm. 

“I apologize for being forceful.” He said. “But I would very much like to meet with you again. Your work sounds wonderful!

“Oh, um, okay?” I smiled nervously. “Do have…a cell phone or something?”

“I just got one!” His face lit up. We exchanged numbers and I was sent on my way. Honestly, it had been a pretty weird night. 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Three Old Men Hunt Ghosts (Johan Edition)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17500931) by [Control_Room](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Control_Room/pseuds/Control_Room), [phantomthief_fee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomthief_fee/pseuds/phantomthief_fee)




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